To be honest you'll just have to figure that one out yourself most likely. It's so individual that it's impossible to give an accurate answer. Some people come off the pastes, others change their diet and come off, others remain on it forever. Realistically you can try without it for a day when you feel comfortable. If the butt burn returns, you'll just go back to it! With regards to calmoseptine vs ilex, ilex is much more of a thorough barrier but can be overkill for others. I'd try the calmoseptine first as it's cheaper and works for a lot of people. If you start having problems and it's not working or develop a fissure, you can step it up to ilex