Climbskin: Worth the Hype (and Price)?

https://shop.frictionlabs.com/products/climbskin-hand-cream?variant=14036274630

Any experiences out there? I have sweaty hands, but I'm perpetually splitting seams below the pads. I'm trying to find that sweet spot without breaking the bank.

Antihydral is the only thing that really works, and even then it only helps sweaty hands be more bearable. Use it once a week and put lotion on your hands in the morning to prevent splits.

http://www.svobodako.ru/catalogue.aspx?s=0&p=106&0i0=1173

The best skin care shit ever. Costs... nothing. Less than $0.50 for tube lasts several months.

I'm a long time Antihydral user. Decided to try Rhino this year. Wrote a review/some notes on my experiences using both here:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/ryan-palo/rhino-skin-review/1404330749610290/

**I apologize for the facebook link/link in general. The format is better than what I could just paste here. 

Sorry guys, I may not have been entirely clear. I've been playing with Antihydral and the Rhino products for a while now, and I"m getting the drying part dialed in. However, something I've had all along is splitting of the seams below my pads. I don't like to use restorative creams or salves because of my naturally soft pads, but I don't seem to have great elasticity of the skin at this joint when crimping. Someone in another forum suggested Climbskin, so I'm trying to feel it out.

Pavel Burov wrote:

http://www.svobodako.ru/catalogue.aspx?s=0&p=106&0i0=1173

The best skin care shit ever. Costs... nothing. Less than $0.50 for tube lasts several months.

The link isn't working for me.

Oh I hear you there. I've always had issues with my seams. This is my normal, at work attempt at fixing them. I dont think any skin care product is going to address this specifically. They're basically drying agents, which will make your seams more susceptible to cracks. Either that or it will simply not work as intended. 

Evan,

here is a link to the Power Company podcast on Rhino Skin products.  There is also advice on how to prevent splitting seams between pads

http://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/blog/2017/2/27/episode-29-skin-care-with-rhino-skin-solutions

I have not used any of these products, so I do not have an opinion

Yep, neosporin and a bandaid is my nighttime standard.

Im basically trying to chase a unicorn: A product that will add elasticity to my creases, but not moisten my pads. Right now I'm using a Q-Tip to apply Working Hands or the Rhino Repair cream, but keeping it off my pads.

evan h wrote:

Sorry guys, I may not have been entirely clear. I've been playing with Antihydral and the Rhino products for a while now, and I"m getting the drying part dialed in. However, something I've had all along is splitting of the seams below my pads. I don't like to use restorative creams or salves because of my naturally soft pads, but I don't seem to have great elasticity of the skin at this joint when crimping. Someone in another forum suggested Climbskin, so I'm trying to feel it out.

I have been in the same boat as you for years.  Here is what has given me the best skin of my 16 yr climbing life the last 4 months.

Every day of the week, I use O'keefe's working hands at night after filing my skin down in the creases and sides of the tips using a medium emery board from Target.  

about 2 to 3 times per week, I use Rhino performance lotion the night before I plan on climbing the next day.  I always climb more than 2-3 times per week, but never use rhino more than 2-3 times.  On nights I use rhino I use O'keefes about 1-2 hours before applying rhino.

This has greatly reduced my total sweating, but has also made my skin bulletproof.  No splits in 4 months!  

Prior to this regiment, I would get splits in the seams at least monthly, no mater what I tried.  This method works, and is cheap overall as the rhino performance only uses about a half a pump.  

Rui Ferreira wrote:

Evan,

here is a link to the Power Company podcast on Rhino Skin products.  There is also advice on how to prevent splitting seams between pads

http://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/blog/2017/2/27/episode-29-skin-care-with-rhino-skin-solutions

I have not used any of these products, so I do not have an opinion

Thanks Rui, I'll check that out!

Baby Butt Paste does the trick for me. Try and find the kind with zinc oxide @^ 40%.

Tape a q-tip to the underside of your finger after packing the split with lotion while you sleep. It prevents your split from healing in a fingers closed position (the q-tip keeps your finger straight).

I too am an avid user of the antihydral. I am fairly careful about just getting it on my pads and not seams so that I don't get the cracking. The best repair "lotion" that I have used is Epoch Sole Solution. It is for cracked feet, but is awesome at repairing dry damaged skin. I use it on my knuckles a lot in winter too. 

I have used the Friction Labs Hand Cream and think it is pretty awesome at hydrating skin that is too dry to climb well. There is that happy place where your skin is dry, but still able to grip well. Sometimes I go over the line (like with the antihydral) and my skin is too dry to grip well on slopers and some other holds. The Friction Labs skin cream is really good at giving my skin some tackiness without getting greasy.  You need to put it on about an hour before you climb, otherwise it can still be too slick. If you find that your skin is still too slick after using it, just do a quick rinse under water and you're left with really great skin for climbing. People that don't have these issues probably thinks this sounds like a lot of crap to do just to go climbing, but it's hard to keep hands from getting crazy sweaty and then not too dry sometimes. It's worth it. 

Eric Carlos wrote:

I have been in the same boat as you for years.  Here is what has given me the best skin of my 16 yr climbing life the last 4 months.

Every day of the week, I use O'keefe's working hands at night after filing my skin down in the creases and sides of the tips using a medium emery board from Target.  

about 2 to 3 times per week, I use Rhino performance lotion the night before I plan on climbing the next day.  I always climb more than 2-3 times per week, but never use rhino more than 2-3 times.  On nights I use rhino I use O'keefes about 1-2 hours before applying rhino.

This has greatly reduced my total sweating, but has also made my skin bulletproof.  No splits in 4 months!  

Prior to this regiment, I would get splits in the seams at least monthly, no mater what I tried.  This method works, and is cheap overall as the rhino performance only uses about a half a pump.  

Alright Eric, now we're talkin! This is the kind of obsessive, micro-beta I was hoping to get. 

It sounds like we are attacking this in a similar manner. I haven't used the Rhino Performance, but I've been playing with the "Dry" and unfortunately-named "Mikey's Tip Juice". I'm putting O'Keefe's on the seams nightly. Are you putting Working Hands all over, or just in the creases?

evan h wrote:

Alright Eric, now we're talkin! This is the kind of obsessive, micro-beta I was hoping to get. 

It sounds like we are attacking this in a similar manner. I haven't used the Rhino Performance, but I've been playing with the "Dry" and unfortunately-named "Mikey's Tip Juice". I'm putting O'Keefe's on the seams nightly. Are you putting Working Hands all over, or just in the creases?

Tried dry and gave it away because EVERY time I use it, I would split.  The performance is noticeable without over-drying.  I am putting working hands everywhere, I am filing everywhere but the actual pads, and I use the performance everywhere also.  

jmmlol wrote:

Tape a q-tip to the underside of your finger after packing the split with lotion while you sleep. It prevents your split from healing in a fingers closed position (the q-tip keeps your finger straight).

Yep, I have a Popsicle stick and tape next to the bed as well. It's getting out of hand!

Eric Carlos wrote:

Tried dry and gave it away because EVERY time I use it, I would split.   

That's why I started playing with the Tip Juice. It can be applied directly to the pads (like Antihydral), but dries clear and you can go on with your life in about 10 minutes. No need to sleep like a cadaver and wake up with it all over everything!

evan h wrote:

That's why I started playing with the Tip Juice. It can be applied directly to the pads (like Antihydral), but dries clear and you can go on with your life in about 10 minutes. No need to sleep like a cadaver and wake up with it all over everything!

I don't like tip juice because you still end up with sweaty hands everywhere but the tip.  And it made my skin glassy.  

Eric Carlos wrote:

I don't like tip juice because you still end up with sweaty hands everywhere but the tip.  And it made my skin glassy.  

True. I guess for the stuff I'm generally climbing I'm mostly on my pads. Somewhere like Maple/Rifle/RRG it would be important to have the entire hand more consistently dry.

evan h wrote:

Yep, I have a Popsicle stick and tape next to the bed as well. It's getting out of hand!

Do you have bendy fingers when you crimp?