How to choose skincare for climbing
Climbing is a sport that tests your physical and mental endurance, but it also puts your skin through a lot! Developed in 2015 by a pharmacist and a chef, Rhino Skin Solutions offers a range of plant-based, all-natural skin care products specifically designed for climbers. From preventing sweaty hands to healing dry, cracked skin, Rhino Skin has the right product for you. This guide will help you choose the best product for your needs.
Day-to-Day Maintenance — Rhino Skin Repair
Rhino Skin Repair is a non-greasy, moisturizing hand cream that soothes and heals sore, worn skin. It’s perfect for daily use, either as part of your pre-climb routine to maintain healthy skin and hands, or post-climb for recovery and healing. It’s suitable for use by anyone with any skin type.
Rhino Skin Repair is our go-to recommendation for climbers who are looking to maintain healthy skin and hands.
Sweaty Hands and Thin Tips
If you’re someone with sweaty palms and fingertips, then Rhino Skin Solutions has the solution: they offer three levels of antiperspirant skincare to help reduce sweating for climbers.
Sweaty Skin — Rhino Skin Performance
Rhino Skin Performance is an all-natural, antiperspirant moisturiser perfect for climbers who struggle with sweaty hands.
This is the sweaty skin equivalent of Rhino Skin Repair as it has the same moisturizing, healing ingredients with the addition of antiperspirant ingredients. Some climbers use Performance as an alternative to Repair, however, others choose to alternate between Repair and Performance as Performance can cumulatively over-dry the hands, leading to cracks.
Coach Jonny actually applies Performance just to his fingertips! And uses Repair elsewhere on his palms and fingers.
Performance takes 6-8 hours for the antiperspirant ingredients to kick in, so make sure you leave enough time before climbing if you haven’t used it before.
Overall, Performance is best-suited for climbers looking for a mild antiperspirant with added skin conditioning benefits.
Very Sweaty Skin — Rhino Skin Dry
For those who need a stronger solution, Rhino Skin Dry is an antiperspirant serum that reduces or eliminates sweating for up to three days. This aluminium-free, all-natural, plant-based product is safe and effective for longer-term use. Rhino Skin Dry is ideal for climbers who deal with very sweaty hands and need a medium-strength antiperspirant. It can be incorporated into your pre-climb routine, especially in warmer weather or if you have naturally thin, sweaty skin.
If you’re looking for a medium-strength antiperspirant, then Dry is perfect for you.
Ultra Sweaty Skin — Rhino Skin Tip Juice
When maximum strength is required, Rhino Skin Tip Juice is the go-to product. Designed for climbers with ultra-sweaty fingertips, this highly concentrated, aluminium-free antiperspirant decreases sweating and increases skin durability. Due to its potency, it should be used with caution. Rhino Skin Tip Juice is perfect for those who find themselves sweating through other products and need the strongest available solution.
If you constantly have thin, sweaty tips and other antiperspirant products have failed you, then give Tip Juice a try!
Dry Skin and Cracks
Dry skin sucks! It makes you more prone to dry firing, not to mention splits and cracks are so painful. Dry skin really can get in the way of achieving your goals!
As recommended at the top of this article, Rhino Skin Repair is a fantastic place to start your dry skin journey. It’s hydrating, improving skin elasticity, and should help promote healing of splits and cracks.
Ultra Dry Skin — Rhino Skin Split+
If you have extremely dry hands, Rhino Skin Split+ is a whipped hand cream that soothes and heals. Split+ is a perfect daily moisturiser for ultra-dry skin.
Split+ can also be used on occasions by climbers with normal or sweaty skin when they have the odd crack, wound, or thin tips to speed up recovery.
Small Wounds — Rhino Skin Split
For wounds, cuts, and cracks, Rhino Skin Split is a beeswax-based salve enriched with essential oils, vitamins, and all-natural ingredients. It disinfects, soothes, and speeds up recovery, making it an essential part of any climber’s post-climb routine.
Some climbers use Split on thin tips for enhanced healing.
Instant Solutions
Dry Firing — Rhino Skin Spit
If you keep firing off holds, then Spit is the product for you! Rhino Skin Spit is a fast-acting hydration spray prevents dry firing by promoting skin elasticity without the greasiness. It’s a must-have for dry hands.
Sweaty Hands — Tokyo Powder React
Tokyo Powder React is a quick-drying alcohol-based spray that reduces sweat and restores skin friction; perfect for outdoor climbing. Spray on to the palms before chalking up to reduce sweating and maximise the drying effects of chalk.
Glassy Palms — Tokyo Powder Boost
Tokyo Powder Boost is a primer designed for climbers with dry skin. If you have glassy palms or can’t get enough friction on those slopers, then give Boost a try! Apply before chalking up to improve chalk adhesion and skin friction for superior performance.
Summary
Day-to-day maintenance and healing: Repair
Day-to-day moisturiser for dry hands: Split+
Mild antiperspirant moisturiser: Performance
Medium antiperspirant for palms: Dry
Strong antiperspirant for fingertips: Tip Juice
Small wounds, cracks & thin tips: Split, Split+
Hydration spray for dry firing: Spit
Glassy, low-friction hands: Boost
Drying spray: React
Maintaining healthy skin is crucial for climbers, and Rhino Skin Solutions offers the perfect range of products to keep your skin in top shape. A mix of these products will keep your skin happy and resilient, ensuring you’re always ready to crush your next project. So, take proactive steps with Rhino Skin Solutions and keep your hands climb-ready. Happy climbing!
Need help choosing chalk? Read more.