hi skygirl, my lips would always get mushy when in contact with water and that is why I avoided water, I thought it was a scab and if I let it dry out without water it would heal. it is actually not a scab though and leaving them alone will never work trust me I have tried for many years leaving them alone dry without water contact. if the dead skin comes off in the shower it is a good thing, because its not a scab and just dead skin. so when the water takes off the dead skin all the better. the more water and moisture you give your lips the better, I drink at least 3 glasses of water a day and take a good shower and sometimes go to the sink and cup water in my hands and soak my lips that way. its important to restore the natural moisture of your lips. so if the water takes off the dead skin that is great because its not a scab. after I started hydrating my lips a lot throughout the day my lips peeled once gently, then after that they never peeled again. water will not do any harm to you so get as much as possible. its really not to complicated.