Identifying and removing resin/pof from a climb?

How do you identify pof versus polish? And… if it is pof, is there a non damaging way to remove it?

what is pof?

It's a sticky tree resin that in the past was used in place of chalk. 

Pof is essentially pine resin wrapped in a rag, and it is used to add stickiness to the holds and hands. It works, that is, until the pof cools and solidifies, leaving behind a polished appearance and an unpleasant climbing experience to say the least, and resin doesn’t just brush away. Barker explains: “The only way to get good friction on resin-covered surfaces is basically to use more resin, and therefore adding more deposits to the problem”.

It was more common in Font/France than the US and has since been frowned upon. But it has been creeping back in the form of liquid chalks - generally under different names.

Another opportunity to call out Black Diamond (link), CAMP (link), mammut (formerly, not sure if they changed the formula), and other brands for selling chalk with rosin. It's inexcusable, stores shouldn't carry it, gyms shouldn't allow it, new climbers should be educated. The Access Fund did a giveaway with the BD rosin chalk and they should apologize.

If you're buying chalk, look for "rosin," "colophony", or "colophonium" in the ingredients and don't buy it.

Some science: https://chalkrebels.com/en-us/blogs/news/colophony-climbing-surfaces

It looks like it takes alcohol and scrubbing to remove it.