UKC

I have always sworn by cocoa butter, but it no longer hits the spot, and I actually tore off a callus the other week.

Any recommendations, preferably available from the High Street, so I can get it today.

Also, are the climbing-specific ones worth the extra cost?

Cheers, Rich

In reply to Rich L:

I quite like the Body Shop hemp stuff and although not cheap it seems to last for ages.

In reply to Rich L:

http://www.mnkyfst.com/home.html

This stuff is quite new, designed for climbers by climbers.

In reply to Rich L:

I use hemp hand cream from the body shop, seems to work for me but it can be a bit greasy if you put on too much.

Tip Juice is good climbing-specific one.

In reply to Pete-West88:

Hi

Always make sure that the callus on each finger doesn't get too big by 'sanding' down the skin. The idea is to get strong skin and not thick layers. In that way your previous cream should still work

regards

In reply to Rich L:

I just use Palmer's Shea butter formula, bought from Asda. Tried climb-on and other special potions, but I reckon they're all much of a muchness. And I'd agree about sanding down callouses - I forgot to do this the other week and got a monster flapper as a result of some unintentional hand movement during a dyno.

In reply to Rich L:

Pure shea butter is amazing on cracked skin.

In reply to Rich L:

http://www.naturallythinking.com/products/Bach-Rescue-Cream-50g.html

I've been using this stuff for years and it works a treat. Soaks right in helps to regenerate damage skin and promote skin growth. You don't end up with calluses (well more than normal)

I was introduced to it by a tattooist and I can hand on heart state that it reduces the healing time from 2 to 1 week.

It is organic and once the seal is broken only last about 2 months.

In reply to Rich L:

Available from Boots.

In reply to Rich L:

Sounds daft, but the best hand cream is actually foot cream. Boots will have some. Look for one with urea in.

In reply to Rich L:

Coconut oil, you can cook with it too!

In reply to marsbar:



Or just piss on your hands.

In reply to Steve nevers:

Apparently that is one traditional remedy.

In reply to Rich L:
Give sudacrem a try.

In reply to Rich L:

There's a good review of the climbing specific balms here:
http://thesevereclimber.com/2014/02/23/a-better-balm-review-of-hand-balms-f...
(sorry, no good at HTML so you'll have to cut and paste)

In reply to Rich L:

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream. Expensive but lasts an age - I put it on once a day before bed, especially on trips and it really helps sore and dry skin. It seems similar to climb on cream but it isn't as greasy and works better.

In reply to Rich L:

I have got the shittest skin ever for climbing. Have had a split in every tip and flappers the size of thumb nails previously, until
1) I learned to use my feet
2) tip juice from banana finger.

It is the dogs for my skin, would recommend to anyone. Cheap and soaks in super quick.

In reply to Rich L:

Cosmetic vaseline works well. Here in Czech it's sold with bee wax sometimes, which is the best I have tried

In reply to Rich L:

Climbskin is a new hand cream from Spain without any wax, it absorbs super quick and it is used before and after climbing. I love it, it works really well http://climbskin.co.uk

In reply to all:

Many thanks for all your replies.

The price of a lot of these things really puts me off, but I think I will just have to bite the bullet.

Because I'm worth it.

Cheers, Rich

In reply to Rich L:
I use this stuff for sore hands: http://www.badgerbalm.com/p-442-sore-joint-rub.aspx - works a treat.

It's a proper weapon though - do not rub into open sores or anywhere near the lips or eyes, or you will writhe for your lack of care.

First time I ever took it out, was to the West Highland Way with a few mates. We were in Rowardennan, in the hotel, about to go to bed. Mate mentions he has sore legs. I tell him "Oh, I've got this stuff here - works great for sore muscles, but do not get it into any cuts, and only use a tiny bit". Mate: "Oh sure, let me try" . A few seconds pass. Mate: "Oh yeah I can feel it...". A few more seconds pass "S^*^ this stuff is really hot." Half a minute goes by: "F*&%!!! This is really burning!!!". . Mate: "Ah that's a bit better, I better man up and go to sleep now,". 1 minute passes. Mate: "F(*^^(&^^(**(^!!!!!!"

In reply to Rich L:

I tore a flapper in the Churnet the other day right through to the red meaty stuff. At first I tried my trusty climb on. It was still sore and not doing much after 2 days. I put some of the kids sudocrem on just before and it's stopped stinging and weeping.