I would guess most of you guys have dry brittle hands that crack and bleed sometimes. I bet a few of you have hands that constantly crack and bleed. I was one of latter for the last year. Let me get you up to speed.

I've climbed since 1996 with no hand issues until I returned from a stint in Bermuda where my hands got way to used to humidity. It was August of last year when I got back to the dry west. My fingers split every time I climbed. Indoor or outdoor, crack or face, they split. I was still having a good time and kept climbing. Superglue, sanding, every lotion and salve I could find. Sleeping with gloves and even a full 6 weeks of not climbing a foot. Nothing worked, my hands were always splitting. The best I could do was keep them maintained between days climbing. It was common to have upwards of 10 cracks on my hands at any given time.

It was super frustrating because I also wanted to break through some plateaus but sometimes couldn't climb more than 1 day a week. 2 weeks ago I did Jules Verne and literally every crease on both of my hands cracked. I almost couldn't use my hands the next day.

I saw on this forum a suggestion for O'Keefes Working Hands creme. Skeptical I tried it. 3 times a day and sleeping in gloves at first. By wed or thurs of that week the cracks were getting better and for the first time in months I felt comfortable going to bed without gloves. By Saturday I climbed at the wall for hours and had no splits. On Sunday I did several routes at the Crimperfest wall on Devils Head. I didn't get a single crack. I was sore but I had skin. Over the week I did a couple sharp crystal pimping routes and some indoor bouldering. No problems. I just got back from 3 day in rifle, physically I'm destroyed. My skin is perfect. I don't even have a split cuticle.

I haven't had hands this good ever. Considering that two weeks ago they had never been worse, it's an improvement. I am so pleased right now, I barely know what to do next. I can train, dream, and plan again. This stuff has changed my life.

If jtree is enough for you, cool, ignore the above. If you're constantly fucked and considering quitting like I was, try it. It's available lots of places, not greasy, not smelly, and is about $7 a tub and it lasts about a month.

O'Keefes Working Hands creme

Man, the name was so buried I had to pull it out. I got the cracked heels going on now from wearing sandals recently. WTF Colorado? Come on? Anyway, bet that stuff works on heels, too.

Haven't used that stuff but Bag Balm works wonders too.

I've recently gotten into Hoofmaker.

Lotions only moisturize the outer few layers of skin. What you need is to moisturize from the inside, with the proper omega-3 fatty acids that help improve skin health. Here in the USA, our omega-3:omega-6 ratios have gone from 1:1 before the advent of processed foods, to more like 1:10 now. This imbalance is the reason for many of our dry cracked skin and inflammatory woes.

I'd suggest taking 3-4 grams of fish oil with every meal, or 9-12 grams daily, to help balance omega-3:6 ratios. Vitamin C helps support skin collagen levels, which will help its elasticity. Also drink plenty of water -- not soda or any other 'beverage' out there. Within 3-4 months, you won't need lotion anymore.

Dang. Looks like this O'Keefe's is available at my local Lowes and Home Depot. How I've never seen it is beyond me; I'm at one, the other, or both virtually every day.

Gonna give this a try today. Thanks for the tip.

which aisle at home deopot? i was there the other day, but couldn't find any hand gunk.

I'm a huge fan of Working Hands. It's not greasy and heals very fast! I buy it at the local Home Depot.

I did a review of it on my site here: rockclimberlife.com/skin-care-product-review

How does O'keefes work for indian burns on the shaft.

John, have you tried it on the gobes and cracked cuticles?

No review from you could be complete JohnL until it is truly complete...
So how did that stuff work for... ... for everything else?

I believe JohnL, that the s@#t works like a mofo. That's why i'm pickin' some up on the way home. I'll give you my own review in a coupla days.

Did it put the lotion on its skin?

John, I swear to god, I thought I was getting on this page and getting ready for your Meat Beat Manifesto disparaging all future annoying girlfriends and giving praise to Jergens as bringing you back to your sanity.

But what you had to say was interesting, too.

I'm a non-chalk user, dries out my hands horribly, cracking etc. Other people's chalk from particular holds can crack up my cuticles. Working around drywall is pure hell for me, I've had days at work where I pack Climb On into all the splits, tape over it, and still feel like someone turned all my nerves inside out, total raw pain.

I'm going to check it out. Amazing to actually get useful information from this site once in awhile!

I thought this was gonna be about a fartbox!

The lotion that changed my life was...K-Y jelly. Oh, sorry, wrong subject.

After a couple of weeks of using O'Keefe's, I spent three days above 12,500 feet at Iceberg Lake, climbing and scrambling. Normally this would have decimated my tips and cuticles with the cold, dry air.

Got back to Whitney Portal at the end of the long weekend with nary a crack. So I'm pretty sure the stuff is great.

Bought it, haven't tried it. If I wasted my 7 bucks, I'm getting our mutual friend to tenderly rape you with the rig featured in Seven.

But I have high hopes...elbow's so fuct I'm couched too much to get splits.