The Best Moisturising Rock climbing Balms

A bit of background history

Hey, if you’re new here, you might be thinking ‘yeah yeah yeah’ so you can make a soap and you can make a candle but what makes you think you can make a decent climbing balm? Can you make a skincare solution for climbers that will heal cracked skin, help heal split fingertips AND make it a plant based non-greasy moisturising formula that aids muscle recovery? Oh, and make it smell good…

Well, I’ve been through it, pre-pandemic I climbed rock 3-5 days a week indoors and outdoors, I reached the 6c mark at 5’2 and I was happy pushing myself for that 7 but it never came.

So, I know all about those teething pains, the endless flappers, the callouses, the grazes, tears and tears. (both the crying and the ripping kinds).

Just another rock climbing balm?

Using climbing balms, I never found one I really loved so it meant I didn't use the climbing balms as much as I should have and as a result my skin felt dry and scratchy. I always found the extremely medicinal smell of these big brand climbing balms really off putting and the wax like quality wasn't really for me. 

Looking at all the various climbing balms on the market, It didn't take long to see that there were very very few which were vegan - all the ones I could see in all the climbing centres and online used beeswax. Even more disappointingly was the lack of climbing balms for women. So, there was my challenge, to make a completely vegan women’s climbing balm. 

For the base of the Wild Venus climbing balm, I’ve blended a great range of oils and butters which give you a really moisturising climbing balm. The formula penetrates deeply into your skin.

Our use of magnesium oil in our climbing balm range is just one of the ingredients that sets our climbing salve apart from all the rest. 

A moisturising non-greasy climbing balm.

Unlike traditional climbing balms made with beeswax, we make our moisturising climbing balms with oils, butters, magnesium and water which means it absorbs into the skin with massaging and leaves you with a beautiful non greasy feel. Magnesium oil also possesses humectant properties, this means that it draws moisture from the air which further helps your skin's elasticity. As a result, your climbing balm could help reduce the amount of climbing cracks and tears during your ascent. 

A Climbing balm that repairs muscles.

Magnesium oil is renowned for its ability to penetrate deep into the skin, aiding in muscle relaxation and recovery. 

By applying a climbing balm infused with magnesium oil post-climb, we allow our muscles deep relaxation which help promote a faster recovery whilst also reducing soreness and muscle fatigue!

A climbing balm that helps grip?

Our balm could improve your grip strength! Just like your chalk, Magnesium acts as a moisture absorber, it reduces sweat and enhances friction between your hands and the climbing holds. We would recommend applying the climbing balm at least a couple of hours or more before climbing to ensure it’s fully absorbed to improve grip and reduce sweaty palms, and then immediately after your climbing session to help aid recovery.

Let it flow

Applying a magnesium infused skin repair balm for rock climbers will stimulate circulation, this increased flow carries oxygen and nutrients to the source of pain and fatigue faster meaning quicker healing and less muscle tension in your strained finger joints.

So that’s one secret to the Wild Venus Climbing Balm - Magnesium Oil. Using this amazing ingredient which is made by melting magnesium into water, (it’s actually more of a brine but is called an oil), creates a lovely semi soft putty like texture which massages really wonderfully into your skin. It’s not too hard to rub in so if it’s been a particularly painful session, this won't cause you any more pain, just relief!

What also makes Wild Venus’ Climbing Balms Different is that we don't offer a one size fits all. Our plant based climbing balms all have a slightly different variation of oils and butters which have different properties. 

The 3 types of skin repair climbing balms we currently offer are: 

Rose Ascent, Palm Potion and Boulder Balm. 

All of these climbing salves are made using the magnesium oil and natural essential oils to scent and give additional healing, antiseptic and anti inflammatory qualities to make sure your hands are given the care they deserve after crushing rocks. 

Rose Ascent Climbing Balm for Women

The Rose Ascent Climbing Balm is created with a floral blend of rose geranium,  ylang ylang and pink grapefruit essential oils.  The combination of oils and butters I’ve chosen for the Rose Ascent Climbing Balm are shea butter, mango butter, olive oil, grapeseed oil and coconut oil. 

The oil combination on the Rose Ascent Climbing Salve, is great for every day protection and wear, it smells amazing and as this is scented entirely with essential oils, it's really easy to layer this with perfume. 

Palm Potion Climbing Balm for Women

The potent palm potion is created with hemp oil, cocoa and shea. It’s high in linoleic acids which are great for dirty hands so if you’re an outdoors rock botherer, the Palm Potion could provide the solution to your climber skin care needs. This beautiful climbers balm also contains anti inflammatory and antibacterial essential oil blend of Frankincense, Tea Tree, Lavender and Camphor. Potion by name potion by nature, this formulation can help with extremely dry skin, acne and eczema too. 

Boulder Balm designed for Female Climbers

The Boulder Balm is the brightest most citrusy hand balm of the bunch here as it contains a really unique blend of essential oils and menthol crystals which give it a light and uplifting freshness. This effective climbers hand salve contains sweet almond, hemp oil and mango butter amongst other luscious butters; these create a Boulder Balm for dry skin with its high stearic acid and Vitamin D. This climbing balm reinforces your skin barrier against free radicals, helping to rebuild your palms. 

Which Climbers Skin Repair is right for you? 

All of the climbing balms at Wild Venus are anti-chafing, provide rich moisture in a non-greasy formula and with the power of magnesium oil, are intensely soothing climbing balms. 

Our climbers skincare solutions offer relief for cracked skin and are wonderful to massage into split tips. 

After regular use of our climbing balms as a preventative measure, you’ll see a noticeable difference in the elasticity of your skin and you’ll suffer less from dry and cracking. 

So, which of the climbers skin care solution is the right one for you? Will you choose the floral Rose Ascent, our captivating Palm Potion or uplifting Boulder Balm? 

I’d love to hear your feedback and see your pictures of you crushing it on rock or resin so please stay in touch and come and say HI on our socials :)  

Hope you enjoy a few old piccies of me on the rock! (Top Anglezarke Quarry Lancashire, Bottom left St Bees Head, Cumbria, Bottom right, Sokoliki, Poland)

And just a note - of course any gender can use these Wild Venus Climbing Balms! They'll be effective for men, women, non-binary, trans and absolutely all colours of the rainbow, and children too! I've created these climbing balms for women as they have a softer scent profile than traditional climbing balms on the market.