With summer comes slipping in the pole world, especially in Florida. The heat makes us sweat, we’re usually rocking at least a thin layer of leftover sunscreen or aloe, and those afternoon rainstorms can make our pole space downright muggy. All this heat and moisture does nothing to help our grip! But with so many options for grip aides, it’s hard to guess which one may be your best match. Here are a few tips for choosing the best match for your skin.

Dry Hands

By far one of the most commonly used grip aides, Dry Hands is an antiperspirant which goes on as a liquid but dries to a powder-like finish. It was originally designed for golfers and tennis players, but its uncanny ability to eliminate sweaty palms makes it far and away a favorite for pole dancers the world over. It works on the hands and the body, and keeps those contact points sweat-free pretty effectively. Personally, I’ve finally figured out it’s best to apply before you start sweating. Which seems obvious now…

Dew Point

On the other hand, we have Dew Point, which is best for polers who tend to slip because their skin is too dry. This tends to be best used on the body, but typically not for the hands. It’s great because it moisturizes the skin without oil or lotion, and they say it can help improve your skin! This grip tends to make its way out of my bag in the winter, but with dehydration and too much sun, some of us tend to run dry in the summer, too.

Tite Grip

While I’ve never tried this one, I know loads of polers who swear by it. This is another antiperspirant product, but it’s different from Dry Hands in a few ways. First, it lasts way longer. Once it is allowed to take effect, the Tite Grip website reports it lasting up to six hours. This means no re-application mid workout. Second, it’s pretty strictly recommended for hands only, meaning a second grip aide just for the body may be necessary. Third (and this is its main drawback for me), it takes at least 30 minutes after application before it is effective; it goes on as a liquid, then becomes tacky, and finally dry.

Pole Mamas

There are loads of wax-based grip aides out there, but this is by far my favorite in that category. In Florida, products like ITac can be a problem, as they can melt on your skin and actually make you more slippery as your workout goes on. It’s also friggin impossible to get off the pole. Pole Mamas grip has never given me either of those problems. Bonus, it comes in a twist-up container (like chapstick or deodorant), making it super easy to apply. And it smells great; they use essential oils like lavender and patchouli for an overall great experience. However, this one is not my favorite for hands as it just doesn’t seem to do much. It’s mainly a body grip like most wax-based products.

Pole Smart

This one is all new to me, but Asatta has been loving it lately! (Check out her blog post: https://lotusfitnessstudio.com/team-member-spotlight-asatta-jones/) This spray-on body grip is a skin moisturizer similar to Dew Point, but it is brand new, painstakingly formulated, vegan, and made in small batches for quality assurance. Asatta tells me it is her favorite grip right now, because it not only works great for her, but it also helps eliminate ashy skin! Talk about bonus!

Random Improvised Grip Aides

When I first started pole, there were nowhere near so many options for polers with grip issues. In fact, I didn’t even learn grip was a thing until I was all the way in Pole 2! First gen polers got pretty creative with grip solutions, and some of those little gems still pop up from time to time. One is Heel to Toe Peppermint Sloughing Lotion. Yep, the stuff you can buy from Sally’s. Key point with this is DO NOT RUB IT IN! It will just slough your skin if you do that. Instead, a tiny amount is blotted or dabbed on contact points to sort of dry out the skin while keeping it slightly moist. Or something. In the same vein, toothpaste and menthol shaving cream used to pop up in pole arsenals. One thing I can say about the pole community at large is that we are not afraid to try anything that might help our grip!

 

As with any product you’re applying to your skin, be aware of your allergies and sensitivities! I always recommend trying a tiny amount of any new grip to evaluate how your skin reacts before you just jump in. As we say before a polemate takes the stage, Good Grip! We’ll see you in the air!