Willy and Poll, erm, I mean, Will and Polly, social media magician and creator (respectively) of Climb On!, foolishly put out a public tweet asking for volunteers to try their Climb On! Bar for Men, one of their new products. Little did they know that I am monitoring my timeline for freebies at all hours of the day. So of course I volunteered.

CO! founder Polly & professional climber Jonathan Siegrist - Photo courtesy of CO!

CO! founder Polly & professional climber Jonathan Siegrist – Photo courtesy of CO!

I’ve never been much for hand creams, lotions, bars, and goos, even back in my powerlifting days. Heck, for the first year of my climbing career, I didn’t rely much on more than just Cetaphil hand lotion on really bad days. But, when they asked for volunteers, I was at the peak of my climbing and training frequency. I was abusing my hands about 5 days per week either climbing or lifting weights, and I was seriously starting to explore the world of hand care.

Thank goodness they tweeted.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the small, tin container was the fragrance. It wasn’t girly. It wasn’t really “manly”, even though it’s designed for men, either. It absolutely wasn’t chemical-ly since it’s manufactured with 100% food grade materials. It just smelled “good”. Like when you walk into a Pier 1 or Bed Bath and Beyond. Not too strong, but strong enough to know it’s there. I really liked it.

Photo courtesy of CO!

Photo courtesy of CO!

Then, when I took the bar out of the container, I expected it to be the consistency of Chapstick. Nope. It was more firm, but still rubbed off on my hands easily.

How much to apply to your hands is really an exercise in experimentation. How damaged your skin is, the moisture of your skin when you apply, the moisture of the air…it all plays a part. Too much and it will leave your hands quite waxy for longer than you’d probably want. Too little and it doesn’t do much of anything (obv). However, just the right amount will leave your hands tacky for about 3-5 minutes and then fully absorb into your skin. It’s a glorious feeling.

My hands were quite beat up, and no, I don’t have pics, but just imagine dry, cracked skin, a guy that picks and tears his calluses when he’s bored, and daily abuse. Yes, that bad. Within a week, all but the deepest cracks were gone. The edges created from tearing calluses were softened, and even Anh could hardly tell I had “climber’s hands” anymore.

I now find myself putting it on my hands even when I don’t need it, just because it feels and smells so good. I liked it so much that I bought my dad Climb On! Bar for Men as a Christmas present. When my sample is finally gone, which it will be soon, I’ll be buying more for myself. Trust me, if I’m buying it, it’s worth the money…cuz I’m cheap ‘n stuff.

 

 



Don’t Miss Your Chance

I was stuck in Corporate America for 9 years. I was miserable.

Then I took control.

You can too, and it starts right here.