Re: Derm tommorow... so it seems the oral antibiotics not the desonide is what helped.

...from what he explained, the moisture helps all topicals like steroids, ointments ect. absorb better... and as i understand, he said in the case of occlusives like vaseline, aquaphor, glycerin ect. having the lips wet before application traps the moisture in the lips providing a moist protective barrier that assists in healing... in his words all topicals applied to the lips are pretty much useless unless theyre wet first for these reasons... it's apparently not an easy area of the body for them to penetrate... especially when dry and covered in buildup... he really seemed to be confident in what he was saying... hope this helps... good luck to all :p