What is Your Skin Type?

A product guide to sweaty palms, clammy clutches and those cursed with fingertip hyperhidrosis!

Author: Eric H.
Cover photo: Hands by Timothy Kang

Introduction

Historically F1 racing drivers had full teams of engineers preparing their tires; they developed new compounds that affected grip and durability. They signed multi-million-dollar deals with tire manufacturers, and new developments were closely guarded secrets. Any team with better tires had a significant advantage which can ultimately win races. The tire manufacturer Pirelli coined the slogan 'Power is nothing without control,' which is also true for climbers.

Having strong shoulders, fingers, back, and core is amazing, but without friction between the rock and your skin, all that power is lost, making all those training nights futile if your slimy fingertips grease off every hold.

Climbers have long tried to improve the condition of their skin and, at the highest levels, religiously manicure it. Too moist, and you will slime off; too dry, and you will dry fire or split. Ideally, just like a racing tire, you want dry, warm, pliable skin without perspiration. One of the body's natural mechanisms is sweating, which thankfully keeps us at a stable temperature, but the downside can be sweaty hands. The best solution so far to this conundrum is chalk and all its variants.

Do sweaty hands affect your climbing performance?

If the answer is "Yes" then determine the level of moisture in your skin using the definitions below. We have outlined a journey of skin preparation and products for climbers with each skin type, for use before, during, and after your climbing sessions.

If the answer is “No!!” Congratulations, you are blessed with perfect climbing skin. You are a mythical creature of folklore who climbs without chalk and hindrance from clammy clutches. We salute you.

Do you have very dry skin, aka hypohidrosis, and dry-fire-off* holds?

If the answer is "Yes" then avoid products that continue to dry the skin, and add moisture with a moisturizer. Additionally, try using Rhino Spit just before climbing and a repair balm afterward. We have focused on skin preparation and products specifically for climbers with dry skin too.

Does your skin split open quite regularly?

If the answer is “Yes” then make sure your skin is not overly thick due to drying agents, or overly thin, especially from overuse. Avoid that last go on your project and save your skin. After climbing, clip off the dead skin, sand rough areas, clean and use Rhino Split or a repair balm. Wounds heal best when covered, kept clean and free of bacteria.

Chalk, Anti-Perspirant, Skin Barriers & Skin Preparations

Over the past few years, chalk has improved greatly, as have additional products that allow climbers to regulate the moisture for their specific skin type. These new chalks and skin preparation products can be confusing, and the choice overwhelming, so we have written up this guide to help you decide what's right for you. If you want to learn more about skincare for climbing read our skincare guide.

What is your skin type?

How would you describe your level of hand moisture?

1. Dripping

Also known as Hyperhidrosis, like an Alabama Swamp in the summer. You will use anything and everything to help you stop sweating.

Rare, but when your hands are this wet use Antihydral carefully a few times per week, do not over use. Use a skin barrier that increases stickiness like Monkey Hands Dry Booster then just before climbing use a small amount of Liquid Chalk or Tokyo Powder Boost followed by Lab Grade Chalk from Friction Labs. After climbing, wash and clean your skin and use Climb Skin hand cream. If you have cuts or splits use Tape and Rhino Split Stick to aid repair.

2. Moist

You can see your hands print on holds after touching them. Your hands are warm in the cold weather and need products to help extend the climbing season.

This skin type is more common; use either Rhino Tip Juice or Antihydral weekly at the start of rest days. Use a skin barrier like Monkey Hands Dry Booster then before you climb use a small amount of Liquid Chalk or Tokyo Powder Boost followed by Lab Grade Chalk from Friction Labs. After climbing, wash and clean your skin and use Rhino Repair lotion. If you have cuts or splits use Tape and Rhino Split Stick to aid repair.

3. Damp

Temps & humidity are up, the season is over for you? You climb early and need a breezy day. A little help makes things feel way better.

Having damp skin is quite common and fairly easy to manage, use either Rhino Tip Juice weekly or Rhino Dry approx 6-8 hours before you climb. Prepare your skin with a liquid chalkbefore you climb followed by lab grade chalk from Friction Labs. After climbing, wash and clean your skin and use Rhino Repair lotion. If you have cuts or splits use Tape and Rhino Split Stick to aid repair.

4. Normal

On warmer days, things feel slimy and you avoid the sun but generally you can keep going.

Having normal skin which sweats in the heat, especially when worn thin only requires a few products to manage. Try using Rhino Performance a few times per week at night, then prepare your skin with a Liquid Chalk before you climb, followed by regular Powdered Chalk. After climbing, wash and clean your skin and use a balm like Em's Balm. If you have cuts or splits use Tape and Rhino Split Stick to aid repair.

5. Dry

You don't mind the sunshine and only need to occasionally chalk up on routes.

Dry skin can be a blessing for climbers but be careful not to split the skin open, pliable skin is best. Try using Rhino Repair lotion a few times a week and Rhino Spit while out climbing if you find your skin being too dry and dry-firing off holds. Use a Chalk Ball or a Chalktopus when climbing and a balm like Em's Balm afterwards. If you have cuts or splits use Tape and Rhino Split Stick to aid repair.

6. Very Dry

Chalk feels terrible and cracks your overly dry skin further, avoid drying agents, alcohol-based chalks and high-performance chalks.

Very dry skin will split and you will dry-fire off holds, you need to keep your skin pliable and not to thick to perform best. Sand away rough/thick skin and Rhino Spit while out climbing if you find your skin being too dry and dry-firing off holds. Use a Chalk Ball or a Chalktopus when climbing and a balm like Em's Balm afterwards. If you have cuts or splits use Tape and Rhino Split Stick+to aid repair.

7. 40 Grit Sandpaper!

You have leathery palms and palm skin that catches on clothing like velcro hooks. Try sanding to thin your skin and climb on days when everyone else is at the beach.

The other end of the spectrum is hypohidrosis, this needs you to look after your skin daily. Sand away rough/thick skin and use Rhino Spit while out climbing if you find your skin being too dry and dry-firing off holds. Use a Chalk Ball or a Chalktopus when climbing and a restorative cream daily and after climbing. If you have cuts or splits use Tape and Rhino Split Stick+ to aid repair.

Do you consider the social and environmental impact of your chalk purchases?

NO - "The Earth will eventually crash into the sun and it's all meaningless! It's just chalk Geez!"

YES - Then, decide on what is most important to you:

1. Pick a chalk that is non-mined, such as seawater-sourced chalk.
2. Pick a chalk that when purchased donates to a local access group.
3. Pick a liquid chalk without Rosin**

Anti-Perspirant and Barrier-Forming Products

In the past few years, the climbing industry has expanded beyond just chalk to offer a variety of skin products for climbers. They have examined the massive skin and makeup market, pulling over various ingredients and combining them to create skin-drying agents, skin preparations, and barriers that work in different ways. There are too many to mention, and the options are sure to keep increasing, but here are the most common ones currently used in the products above.

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^* Dry-fire refers to ripping violently off holds due to a lack of moisture in the skin usually from dry, thick and glassy skin. You need some moisture to create good friction. ^** Rosin, originally known as POF, is a natural resin found in pine trees that historically some climbers use as an alternative to chalk. This practice started in Fontainebleau but its ever-lasting effects of turning holds to glass, make it impossible to remove. Rosin, Resin and POF are now avoided and not recommended due to these effects.