Everything points to fungus
Environmental Factors
Dry or cold air: Low humidity and wind strip natural moisture fast.
Sun exposure: Ultraviolet (UV) rays damage skin proteins and can lead to actinic changes.
Indoor heating or AC: Artificial climates reduce air moisture and dry out the skin.
Habits and Behaviors
Lip licking: Saliva contains digestive enzymes that break down the skin barrier as it evaporates.
Mouth breathing: Continuous airflow from breathing through the mouth dehydrates the surface.
Over-exfoliating: Using harsh physical scrubs removes healthy skin cells and damages new layers.
Products and Irritants
Contact allergens: Fragrances, dyes, and flavorings in lip balms, toothpaste, or lipsticks trigger irritation.
Harsh chemicals: Strong mint or foaming agents (like sodium lauryl sulfate) in dental products dry out the tissue.
Medical and Internal Causes
Medications: Retinoids (like isotretinoin), antihistamines, and diuretics commonly cause severe dryness.
Nutritional deficiencies: Lacking B vitamins (especially B2, B6, B12) or iron causes cracking and inflammation.
Infections or skin conditions: Eczema, fungal growth, or cold sores compromise the tissue.
So even after removing the trigger it takes about 4-8 weeks for the lip surface to stabilize and by that time fungus takes hold of the damaged surface and stalls the healing process, there are absolutely no other scientific conclusions which might keep the cycle going even after you use absolutely nothing and keep bare and trigger free. And that's why people often require a long term anti fungal plan.
Also I've noticed that fungal peeling has a pattern. It starts peeling where two lips meet. From that zone it starts lifting.
Also there's absolutely no reason the peeling will go on even without triggers until you are autoimmune which is an extremely rare case.
The fact that we keep on slathering new products, new remedies every other day is what I think is we keep re-triggering it.
Also avoiding daily water contact will only make it worse. I'm not telling you to drown your lips in water but minimal water contact and cleansing is also necessary. And protecting the damaged skin to make it stay stuck to the skin longer will only cause necrosis and secondary complications. That's why more people get relief from the Brazilian method rather than the leave alone method.