Here is some information from their web site... "X Chalk was developed and formulated with the help and guidance from a Chinese Herbalist. X Chalk was originally developed to counteract the effects from the extremely gritty rock that we have in some climbing areas in Arizona. After only a route or two in these areas, using normal chalk, your hands and fingers are hurting - burning - cutting into your ability to concentrate and also your time on the rock. X Chalk's base ingredient is a much higher quality chalk than what is used by other chalk manufactures. X Chalk's finer grain stays on the fingers longer, so you don't have to chalk up as often. But what really separates X Chalk from the other climbing chalks is the other special ingredients that we’ve added. One of the main "secret" ingredients in X Chalk is clove. This botanical has long been used for its medicinal properties. Some in the holistic medicine and aroma therapy fields speak of other attributes of clove, such as its mental calming effect as well as other amazing effects that would help a climber. I won't make claims beyond the "calming and pain reducing" abilities on the skin and the skin’s nerves. But I do find that the smell of cloves helps me focus and relax on a route or when working through a tough bouldering problem. The other ingredients I won't identify (sorry) - but they too are well known and commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. As we've compounded these herbs and botanicals in X Chalk, they will help heal minor skin abrasions/scratches/cuts and also help protect these from infection. They will help you heal faster and the chance of infection is lowered. (Now of course, any serious cut or gash should be attended to by a doctor or other medical professional asap!) X Chalk is an overall superior product, offered at only a slightly higher cost than regular gym chalk.