How to Care for your Skin

CLIMBSKIN® Hand Cream is the only cream that has been completely designed for climbers, adapting its properties to the fullest.

1. Introduction

 Hands are our direct connection with the rock, they allow us to perceive it in a special way. A well-cared skin – with calluses, yes, but even and springy ones – will dramatically improve our sensations, making a difference in our performance when climbing.

 No need for extraordinary care of our hands, just a small additional routine to our climbing will help us to better understand their skin and necessities.

2. Care & Advice

 Before: Prepare the skin for climbing. “Warm up”

 – Until now, it was unthinkable to use any existing products before climbing. Now, you can use Climbskin Hand Cream one hour before climbing. A thin layer is sufficient to give the skin greater elasticity. This acts as a “warming” that helps to prevent skin damage (reduces the possibility of “smilies”, opening calluses, cracks, or taking off the skin under the nail ). Tincture of benzoin and natural silica also help to regulate sweating, which is an important factor in skin wearing.

During:

– Keep a cool, dry skin. A common mistake is to keep your hands in your pockets right before starting to climb. A skin with some degree of sweating and at higher temperature than its surroundings will suffer more wear. Instead, put your hands in contact with the rock for a few seconds before climbing.

– Cut and file any lifted skin as soon as possible, no matter how small it may seem, to avoid further damage by snags in the same area.

– If you notice that your skin is really close to open a crack or smilie…sure you have had this feelling…Stop! to fight against motivation it is not an easy thing sometimes but if you stop in the right moment, not only you are avoiding the damage, your skin will react getting stronger in that part a cause of the presure and friction. Your skin will be full ready to crush in 2 days.

 – If a callus is lifted, the first thing to do is to stop the bleeding. Then cut the skin and file the generated skin step. Apply Climbskin Hand Cream to the affected area and leave it there for 20 minutes before spreading it. For this kind of wounds, an excessive hydration is counterproductive as this would soften the skin and slow regeneration, so keep the wound uncovered. But if you decide to keep on climbing – most surely you will – cover it with several turns of a thin strip of breathable tape, beginning from the tip of the finger downwards so it will take longer to move (change it as soon as it starts to move).

Slits, cracks or smilies are usually caused by a lack of elasticity in the callus, and repetition of movements. When they occur, they must be cleaned and filed out. Then apply Climbskin cream as indicated above.

After: Level the skin of your hands at the end of each session (theory of the layers).

– Before washing your hands, you must carefully file all the broken skin. Only after, wash them. If you have a skin particularly dry, it is important to file them as soon as possible in order to wash them asap too. To file your hands while there is still magnesium facilitates the disposal of the waste accumulated on the skin. If you use the Climbskin file to file your hands while they still have some moisture or grease, use the black side (for metal). Afterwards you can completely remove any residue from the file by rubbing it on a cloth or rubbing it with a toothbrush (the lime will not suffer any wear).

– File and level every crack of your skin. If you have suffered great wear of the fingertips, then it is important to file the skin around the nails to favor a uniform regeneration. An excess of callus in these areas is not convenient, since it favors the wear of the fingertip.

-File the excess of callus beneath the fold lines in each finger joint to prevent the lifting or pinching of the calluses (especially important when you are starting to climb or train).

 – If the callus overhangs the nail you must also file it to prevent it could get caught in some grips.

Once the skin is entirely leveled, you can wash your hands to remove dirt and magnesium. Then dry them well.

Now it’s time to use Climbskin Hand Cream. You should apply it in layers, extending it thoroughly. Usually, 1 or 2 times will suffice. The layers should not leave any residue on the skin (if your hands are a little bit greasy, then you have used more cream than necessary). Cover the wounds, cracks or smilies with the cream for 20 minutes, then spread it and leave them uncovered, in contact with the air. Do this twice a day to speed up recovery.

You can use CLIMBSKIN® hand cream several times a day, before and after each session of climbing, without any problem.

Make the skin care of your hands a healthy routine and you will see the difference in no time.