Review: Rhino Skin Solutions

In my goal to climb 100 boulder problems last fall, there was one thing that was instrumental in my success. It wasn’t my shoes or crashpads. It wasn’t a traditional piece of gear at all.

That’s the thing with bouldering. There isn’t a lot to it. It’s just you, the rock, and the skin on your fingertips. And after my first few sessions, my skin was thrashed.

It had been six sessions, only a handful of problems, and I was in trouble. I’d worn through the skin on each of my fingertips and had multiple tears on each hand. I knew I couldn’t continue on the same trajectory. Staring at my fingers and willing my skin to grow just wasn’t working. I needed a new strategy.

That’s when I turned to Rhino Skin Solutions and built my own skin care routine. A couple days of skincare and rest allowed me to recover. Continued maintenance built solid, supple calluses. Within two weeks, I was bouldering 4-5 times per week. After a month, I was climbing with reckless abandon. I have never climbed outside that often and my skin was stronger than ever.

It feels weird to call this a gear review, because this isn’t a traditional piece of gear. There was no magic bullet, just consistent hard work over time. But, I wouldn’t have been able to maintain that consistency without healthy skin. And that is why Rhino Skin Solutions was so crucial to my success.

There are a few things that stand out about Rhino Skin Solutions products. First, they work and that’s the most important thing. But more than that, they are adaptable. They aren’t a one solution fits all product. Rhino Skin Solutions has a wide array of products that can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Follow their website, identify your problem areas, and pick the products that suit you. It’s that easy. Plus, all of the products are made with earth grown ingredients so you don’t need to worry about what you’re putting on your skin.

My Skin Care Routine

Though everyone has different skin care needs and I highly recommend that you tailor your routine to fit your needs, I wanted to give a quick overview of what worked for me. Here are the products that I used:

Split - Split is what I used to get my skin back on track after my rough start. It is a stick that you rub on any open wounds. I got a handful of them and kept them at my desk, in my car, and on my nightstand. Whenever I had a wound, I would treat it multiple times a day to help it recover quickly. I used this often at the start of my project. As my skin got stronger, I rarely needed it. Still, I highly recommend it because there will be times when you need it.

Repair Cream - Repair Cream is what I use for maintenance. After every session and every night, I apply Repair Cream. It helps my skin to regenerate between sessions and stay strong. I keep the travel sized bottle in my chalk bag and have the larger pump bottle on my nightstand. If you only get one product, this is the one that you want.

Performance Lotion - I got the Performance Lotion to help with my sweaty hands. This is the one product that I used that was tailored specifically to my skin. For the first two weeks, I applied it three times a week. It helped to reduce my hand sweat. After that, I used it just one time per week with similar results.

Final Thoughts

I highly recommend Rhino Skin Solutions to the climber looking to get outside multiple times a week. My skin was able to handle gym holds paired with occasional outdoor climbing, but as I shifted all of that energy outdoors my skin couldn’t keep up. Rhino Skin Solutions provided a comprehensive, tailorable solution that allowed my skin to regenerate and thrive even through repeated abuse.

Images and Words: Ben Kitching

Climber: Evan King

For more adventures, stories, and imagery visit: benkitchingphotography.com