ClimbOn isn’t the cheapest product we tested, but it’s far from the most expensive, and it’s in the ballpark of most salves we tested. It helps that you don’t have to use too much — the bar feels like it will last quite a while. To make matters worse, the oily residue means that it’s impossible to do anything else for about 10 minutes after application. Unless you have the time to sit and wait for your hands to dry, this is a pain. We often talk about how intense climbing is – but mostly in the context of muscle toning and strength training. Truth be told, climbing and bouldering are just as tough on our hands, fingers, and skin. EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database is a good place for research. If you have room in your budget, I recommend going with a mostly, if not 100%, organic and natural product. 4. Your Intended Purpose: Handcare vs. Restoration Giddy didn’t outshine the other products enough to earn our highest scores, but it was still a favorite among testers. Joshua Tree Climbing Salve

If you’re looking for quantity, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Balm has you covered. For the same price as others in this review, you get twice the amount with very a similar formulation. I love this balm because it has no noticeable smell and only a few ingredients. The balm has a very loose, almost buttery consistency but that means a little goes a long way. Unlike other balms, this one can be found at most drug stores so it’s easy to replace when you run out. The larger size means I don’t usually carry it with me to the crag. It does help healing a little, and it’s pleasant to use and apply. It felt the most like a conventional hand lotion, and it has the least recognizable ingredients list of the lot. Like the Joshua Tree, it’s a soft solid that sits in a tin and allows a fingertip or two to be dipped in at a time. It smells pleasantly citrus-y and it’s easy to apply. How well did my skin heal using the salve? Did it make a substantial difference? What were the characteristics of healed skin? For starters, ClimbOn is intuitive and handy to apply. The bar is solid, but after warming up in the hand it creates a nice layer of balm on the skin.

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As I mentioned above, finding consistency wasn’t easy in this test. To make matters more difficult, the more I used the salves the harder it was to wear down my skin for testing. If you ever want an incentive to train all the time, salve testing is a good last resort. We have come to the end of our review of bouldering hand cream, yet all is not lost! We have gathered some of the most frequently asked questions in the section below. Have a look to see if they interest you. What is the best bouldering hand cream? Being consistent about applying salve does help, but it’s not life or death — your skin will heal regardless, and many climbing skin care habits ( taking care of callouses, letting skin heal) are common sense and don’t cost a dime. The first lotion on this list is the Rhino Performance Cream. It is hydrating, regenerative, and cleansing. It is made with earth-grown ingredients and smells very nice. If you have beat up hands it really does help your performance. It is on the expensive side, however.

We often go along with the most popular chalk, but there’s a good chance it isn’t compatible with your skin type. Don’t use climbing chalk with active drying agents unless you tend to have sweaty hands. We have already detailed how to take care of bouldering calluses, and using cream is an essential part of that. By staying on top of your hands, you will allow yourself the opportunity to boulder more. We recommend using hand cream as part of your hand care routine. List of Bouldering Hand CreamIt did help skin heal, but the result was softer than skin treated by products like the ClimbOn and Giddy balms. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — some competition climbers soften their skin for better grip on plastic, and some climbers (understandably) prefer a hand that isn’t stiff and leathery. ClimbOn is the name that resonates when speaking about bouldering hand cream. Although, it is not a cream it is a salve! It is respected the world over, and many boulderers use it. It’s made from 100% natural ingredients, and combines different oils and is suitable for all types of skin. None of the salves were terrible, and all of them helped a little. More good news: over the month of testing we learned that a) good skin care does make a difference, but b) it’s not a huge one. And that’s a bummer, because the ClimbSkin is far and away the most expensive product in our test. Per ounce, it costs around double most of the other products we tested. Joshua Tree Organic Climbing Salve is a “good” product at best. The salve only has two pros – decent skin healing and organic ingredients.

Made with 100% organic blend of essential oils this is a top-end bouldering hand oil. The natural plant extract acts as an anti-inflammatory and also a pain reliever. It’s a great product if you are experiencing finger pain or looking to prevent injuries. The ClimbSkin would likely work well in these scenarios. Plus, if you’re climbing in the gym all the time, it is excellent relief for dry and chalk-encrusted hands.

SKINourishment, the company behind the ClimbOn Original Bar, is also a leader in social responsibility. They’re a ceritified B Corp. Their products are cruelty-free according to PETA, meaning they aren’t tested on animals. And the ClimbOn bar is made of 100% plant-based ingredients and beeswax. A removable bar makes application convenient and enjoyable. Best for Soft Skin & Gym Climbing: ClimbSkin Hand Cream

CBD-infused products are all the rage these days, with some athletes even ditching ibuprofen for the extract, and some studies have found CBD to have anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and pain-relieving properties. This topical is my go-to balm when I have an open wound that won’t heal or inflammation in my joints or muscles. It has a thinner consistency than other balms in this review and can be quite greasy, so I use it only at home. The smell is an overpowering mix of menthol and cinnamon that can be too much sometimes, but it can have an aromatherapy effect when I’m in the right mood. The ingredients list is short and pleasant, and the salve smells gently herbal, but it reminded some testers too much of Burt’s Bees Hand Salve. If you split a finger tip or get a decent cut, stop climbing and wash the wound thoroughly. Apply some neosporin or a similar antiseptic and antibacterial cream as soon as possible. You should then cover the area with a breathable plaster or band aid and let it heal, reapplying the antiseptic every few hours to help. The same applies to flappers but they can take longer to heal because of the large area of new skin being exposed to air. ClimbSkin is another aggressively marketed product courtesy of our friends at FrictionLabs (who sell in the USA for the Spain-based ClimbSkin).Yes, it’s a premium product, and it’s coming from Spain, but it’s a steep price to pay for an ounce of balm. Methenamine produces formaldehyde on reaction with water in the skin. If you are allergic to formaldehyde don’t use it. As ever consult a doctor for professional opinions and don’t use the internet for health advice. Urgent Care – Repair Split Finger Tips, Flappers, Cuts Research your chalk and skin type to make the right choice. Whenever you’re climbing, monitor your hands for cuts and tears. Retreat immediately if you notice one and apply first aid. 3. Handcare After Climbing How easy is the salve to apply? How convenient is it to carry and use? Does the salve make it hard to carry out other tasks? Related Articles