I always wipe off the buildup and I don't see it getting worse at all. I cover my lips in bepanthen, go to sleep, wake up, forcefully wipe it all off, minor irritation, the irritation goes away, I can go about my day and eat food and drink without getting annoyed by EC skin. I believe my EC was caused by cold air, my skin cracked, I peeled that crack, thus creating the cycle, and on top of that, I suffered massive irritation from soy and peanut products, so that made it worse, and I only noticed that until 1-2 years ago, after having done it for 6+ years.