Rhino Skin Solutions Split+ Hyaluronic Acid Cream - Intensive Care for Severely Damaged Skin (1 oz) Review (2026)

What Split+ is

Split+ is a hyaluronic acid cream from Rhino Skin Solutions, a brand focused on skin care for climbers and other athletes whose hands take repeated abrasion. It is formulated for severely damaged skin and deep splits rather than everyday dryness, using hyaluronic acid for hydration alongside beta glucan, dragon's blood extract, L-carnosine, calendula, and vitamin E, ingredients the brand describes as supporting tissue repair, collagen formation, and faster wound closure. It is sold here in a 1 ounce size, small enough to carry in a chalk bag or gym bag, with a larger 3.4 ounce size also available from the brand directly.

Intended use

The brand's directions call for applying a small amount to clean, already-damaged skin as needed, with a specific recommendation to use it before bed so the cream can work overnight without being washed off or rubbed away by climbing. Rhino Skin Solutions also suggests pairing Split+ with its Split balm during the day, using the balm to keep open cracks sealed while climbing and reserving this heavier cream for overnight repair. That split routine, a lighter daytime product and a more intensive overnight one, is a common structure among climbing skin care brands and reflects that this cream is meant as a targeted treatment rather than a leave-on-all-day lotion.

Who actually needs it

This is a targeted product for climbers dealing with genuinely severe skin damage, meaning deep splits at the fingertips or knuckles that basic lotions and balms are not closing on their own, rather than routine dryness after a normal session. Climbers training frequently on rough granite or sandstone, or pushing volume during a hard training block, are the most likely to hit this level of damage. Someone with only mild, occasional dryness is better served by a basic hand cream used daily, since Split+ is formulated and priced as an intensive treatment rather than routine maintenance, and using a heavier product than necessary offers no real benefit.

Storage and handling

Rhino Skin Solutions specifically warns against leaving its products in hot vehicles during summer, noting that temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit can cause the cream to lose its emulsification since the formula skips artificial thickeners found in many mass-market lotions. That is a meaningful practical note for climbers who keep a chalk bag or gear bin in a hot car trunk between sessions, since a cream that separates or breaks down loses effectiveness and needs to be discarded. Storing the tube in a pack or gym bag out of direct heat, rather than a car console or trunk in summer, keeps the formula intact for its intended shelf life.

How it fits a skin care routine

Climbing skin care generally splits into daytime products, usually balms or salves meant to seal small cracks and keep skin workable mid-session, and overnight or rest-day products meant for deeper repair, which is the category Split+ falls into. Compared with general-purpose hand creams like O'Keeffe's Working Hands, Split+ is formulated specifically around ingredients aimed at wound closure and tissue repair rather than broad moisturizing, which explains both its smaller size and higher price per ounce. Climbers building a full skin care kit typically pair an intensive product like this with a daytime balm rather than relying on either alone.

Frequently asked questions