my peeling cycle is usually 3-4 days. if i don't use the cream, starting around the second day the area that peels off (75% of the top half of my bottom lip) starts to feel hard. if i apply the cream twice a day, it doesn't feel hard to the touch at all. this really helps me to not obsessively touch it and it bothers me a lot less.
also,by the 4th day (i have to be patient and really wait till it starts kind of peeling itsself), when i peel it off it is a really clean peel, i just rub it off with a towel and dont need to pick anything off by hand. the effected area is a lot less raw/red after the peel than in the past.