Holmenkol Cross Country Ski Grip Wax
Grip wax unlikely to contain PFAS; typical paraffin pose lower concern.
This cross-country ski grip wax uses hydrocarbon paraffin without reported Teflon-family coating additives. Standard formulation indicates lower risk.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
Hydrocarbon wax blend (paraffin, synthetic base)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Holmenkol Cross Country Ski Grip Wax is made of, ingredients and materials
Holmenkol Cross Country Ski Grip Wax is a hydrocarbon-based blend combining paraffin and synthetic base stocks. This formulation avoids halogenated polymers and volatile organic compounds typical of some performance coatings. The wax is designed to adhere to ski bases under thermal cycling (friction heat during use) and remains solid at room temperature, limiting leaching pathways common in plasticizers or liquid additives.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Volatile organic compound emissions (minor)
Paraffin wax itself has low volatility, but heating during ski friction or storage near heat may release trace aliphatic hydrocarbons. No documented incident reports for this product; risk is mitigated by outdoor use and brief contact duration.
Thermal degradation and combustion byproducts
If wax is exposed to high heat (e.g., near stove or in closed storage near a heat source), incomplete combustion could generate aldehydes or ketones. Normal storage and application do not pose this risk; avoid direct flame or extreme heat.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
Skin irritation or sensitization
Pure paraffin has minimal sensitizing potential. No allergic or dermatological incidents recorded for Holmenkol grip wax. Risk applies mainly to individuals with pre-existing hydrocarbon sensitivity, which is rare.
Heavy metals
No published analysis of pigment content. Grip waxes rarely use cadmium, lead, or other regulated metals in colorants due to price and performance trade-offs. Holmenkol has no known heavy metal incidents.
Source, FDA ↗Microplastic or polymer shedding
Paraffin wax is not a microplastic source; it is a macro-scale solid that sheds as intact flakes or fragments, not suspended particles. Environmental shedding is negligible compared to synthetic polymer products.
How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Voelkl (now part of Artur Scharl GmbH) does not publicly disclose detailed ingredient lists or third-party chemical certifications for ski care products. The brand maintains no known public PFAS stance or commitment to PFAS avoidance. However, no recalls or regulatory violations involving this product category have been documented. Industry practice for grip wax focuses on performance and durability rather than hazard transparency.
How it compares in its category
Ski grip waxes are among the lower-complexity sports care products; they avoid the chemical complexity of synthetic base oils or Teflon-family coating additives found in high-performance racing waxes. Paraffin-based formulations present lower concern than systems using volatile solvents or synthetic elastomers. Most competing brands (Swix, Toko, Rode) use similar hydrocarbon cores with minimal published hazard data, suggesting category-wide transparency gaps rather than Holmenkol-specific concern.
If you buy it
Apply grip wax indoors or in ventilated spaces to avoid inhaling any volatile emissions during heating and friction. Store in cool, dry conditions away from direct sunlight and heat sources to prevent degradation or remelting onto skin or textiles. Replace when hardness degrades or when grip performance noticeably declines (typically after 50-100 km of use). Wash hands after application; do not ingest or allow prolonged skin contact if you have known wax sensitivities.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 72% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Holmenkol has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to Holmenkol Cross Country Ski Grip Wax?
- hydrocarbon ski wax (non-fluorinated)
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and mineral oil vapor
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- hydrocarbon wax blend
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Thermal degradation and fume emission
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Wax-based ski base, fluorine-free formulation
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Inhalation of wax particulates and volatiles during application
More ski & sports wax grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.