Having used Climb On for years and found it very effective, I’ve found that ClimbSkin Cream complements rather than replaces it. Climb On works well as a deep moisturiser that takes some time to properly soak in, so it is best as an overnight application. The Climb Skin however, has a percentage of alcohol which helps to accelerate it’s drying time. It can be used during the day and a couple of hours pre climb where it will hydrate the skin and dry enough to not be a greasy hindrance when pulling hard on the rock.

I’ve used it on several climbing trips as an after the morning shower application, making my skin hydrated and supple (a bit more elastic and leathery) which means it is less prone to splitting or tearing on sharp edges.

I suffer from split nail beds fairly often where my nails separate from the fingertips and it is really quite painful to crimp down on anything. Climb Skin doesn’t work very well for this due to the alcohol content drying out the area under the nail a bit but is great on the fingertips.

Being a cream rather than a wax bar it does mean that it is easy to burn through a tub quite fast, so try to control your use a little and use something else as an overnight deep moisturiser such as Climb On, Kletter Retter or Rhino Repair (other excellent moisturisers are also available!).

- Rich

Rhino Skin Repair is a non-greasy skin conditioner designed to heal dry, swollen and abused hands and feet. The instructions state to wash and dry hands immediately after climbing, then apply pea sized amounts and rub in until dry.

The active ingredients are as follows:

Magnesium for tendon and connective tissue health.

Honey as an antibacterial and for moisturising.

Menthol for pain relief.

Willow Bark as an anti-inflammatory.

Salicylic Acid for skin regeneration.

A full list of ingredients can be found on the product page.

It may seem that all that’s missing is eye of newt and pube of Gaskin but this might just be the best skin repair product I have ever used. I have tried most of the market (I haven’t tested the other products from Rhino Skin yet but now I will be). It may seem like a bold claim, but I haven’t spoken to anyone that has said a bad thing about Rhino Skin, and judging by the speed at which this is leaving the store, more and more people are catching on to the fact that whatever skin type you have, Rhino Skin have a product for you. In fact they probably have 2 or 3! I haven’t fully figured out which other products I will use alongside the repair regularly, but the Performance seems like the perfect accompaniment.

I apply the Repair after most sessions, intensive or not, but also slather it on deeper cuts and flappers to keep them moist and clean. I’m adamant there is a benefit to skin repair. Whether it’s a placebo or not the science is there and I’m a big fan.

If and when I decide to step things up again on the smaller and slopier holds (yes, I’m making up words) across my many unfinished projects, I think the Rhino Dry and Tip Juice will come in really handy. Which also means I can avoid ordering antihydral which I vowed to try and never use again.

- Jack