Science & technology | Blemish treatmentOld oil paintings are suffering from chemical “acne” Conservators are scrambling to rescue them Desperate for a spa dayPhotograph: Børre Høstland/The National Museum May 28th 2025WHEN AN OIL painting is dried and finished, it is supposed to stay that way. Yet when Ida Bronken, an art conservator, began to prepare Jean-Paul Riopelle’s “Composition 1952” for display in 2006, she noticed drops of wet paint were trickling down the canvas from deep within the masterpiece’s layers. Equally odd were the tiny, hard, white lumps poking through the painting’s surface, as if it had a case of adolescent acne. Other sections seemed soft and moist; some paint layers were coming apart “like two pieces of buttered bread”, Ms Bronken says.Explore moreScience & technologyThis article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Spot treatment”From the May 31st 2025 editionDiscover stories from this section and more in the list of contents⇒Explore the editionReuse this content

In today’s ever more connected world, it’s fair to say that some of us receive nearly as much screen time as we do actual sunlight — if not more, depending on your job and the time of year.A growing body of research shows that the blue light that these screens emit might have effects on human health, whether it’s our vision, skin, or our sleep.“Blue light has an effect on skin health and even the retina in the eyes,” says Kseniya Kobets, an assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care.Blue Light ExposureBlue light sits in the light spectrum between ultraviolet, high-energy light, and other types of visible light that aren’t blue light and emit lower energy such as green, orange, and red light. About one third of all visible light falls into the blue light category, which is also called high-energy light (HEV).Most blue light we are exposed to comes directly from the sun. But LED lights and screens, whether it’s your television, computer, tablet, or smart phone, also emit blue light. While the amount screens emit is minimal compared to that from the sun, they are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in our lives, at all hours of the day. And some doctors are concerned that the way many hold their phones so close to their faces could also increase a negative effect.Read More: Does Blue Light Damage Skin?Is All Blue Light Bad for You?Blue light isn’t all bad. Some research has shown that low amounts of HEV can help decrease acne, for example, while other studies showed that limited exposure to the light may help some symptoms related to psoriasis and eczema, according to a review study.In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a wearable blue light device for the treatment of mild psoriasis.Some research has also found that blue light therapy might actually help treat certain types of skin cancer in a controlled treatment. But the relationship between blue light and cancer isn’t all beneficial.The Impact of Blue Light on Your SkinStudies on mice have shown that long-term exposure to blue light can also cause some of the conditions that lead to cancer, though the authors stated that more research is needed to confirm this.“Many of the effects of blue light on living organisms are unknown, and further research is required, including on methods of protection,” the authors stated. Blue light could cause some lesser skin problems as well, though. Kobets says that blue light can cause oxidative stress on the skin, which could cause premature skin aging and hyperpigmentation — a condition in which some skin patches become darker than others.“Most people want to avoid hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone,” Kobets says.Other Effects of Blue LightIt’s possible that our exposure to too much blue light — especially outside of daylight hours — can suppress our production of melatonin, the hormone our body uses to help set its inner clock, or circadian rhythm. This essentially means that too much blue light at night could affect healthy sleep, Kobets says.All light can affect melatonin production, but blue light suppresses it more effectively, according to Harvard Health Publishing.Our eyes also aren’t very good at filtering out blue light. As a result, it reaches our retina, where it may damage cells. Serious exposure could also contribute to conditions like cataracts and vision loss from age-related macular degeneration. Kids are more at risk since their eyes absorb more blue light than adults.Blue Light ProtectionsThe best way to limit blue light exposure is to lower your screen time — especially at night. But Kobets also says that people can take other steps to limit the potential damage of blue light. Sunscreen can help — even in the winter or indoors.“The oxidative stress from visible blue light and its effect on DNA damage and hyperpigmentation of the skin is one of the main reasons I recommend using [sun protection factor] daily,” she says.Even makeup might help, if it has the right components. “The best makeup is the one that offers tint cover-up which contains iron oxide plus has mineral [sun protection factor] to add to the protection,” Kobets says.Other steps to help reduce damage include face masks or glasses made to shield blue light, or just simply lowering the brightness of your phone. You can also use a shield on your phone or computer screen that decreases the amount of blue light displayed. This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. Blue light protection, part II—Ingredients and performance testing methodsAmerican Academy of Dermatology Association. Can a wearable blue-light device clear psoriasis?Iowa Healthcare. Blue-light therapy warding off skin cancerHarvard Health. Blue light has a dark sideJoshua Rapp Learn is an award-winning D.C.-based science writer. An expat Albertan, he contributes to a number of science publications like National Geographic, The New York Times, The Guardian, New Scientist, Hakai, and others.

Gen Alpha, the youngest generation of active consumers in the market, are teetering on the onset of teen angst. For many of them, an unavoidable trigger of it will be those pesky hormonal-triggered breakouts. It’s a moment for the skincare industry to once again swoop in and offer tweens and teens a smorgasbord of problem-skin creams, gels, patches and facemasks treatments. That part hasn’t changed for generations of consumers. What’s evolved are the strategies brands are using today to reach the youngest of them. Previous generations of teens, for instance, would see ads for acne brands in glossy magazines, newspaper inserts, on TV during Nickelodeon commercial breaks and on the radio.  None of this will effectively work with Gen Alpha, a fully digitally native cohort. They live and breathe the internet, gaming and social media.  So in March, Switzerland-based Galderma, maker of skincare brand Cetaphil and Differin (a popular over-the-counter acne treatment sold in Walmart, Target, Ulta and on Amazon), for the first time took its acne brand to one of Gen Alpha’s most popular hangouts—the gaming platform Roblox. Roblox has about 98 million active daily users, with 80% of them below the age of 25. On average, users spent a total of 21.7 billion hours on the platform just in its first quarter this year, up 30% from a year ago. “The when, the where and the why of [our] effort is very rooted in data,” says Tara Loftis, global president of dermatological skincare at Galderma. “Acne impacts 85% of people between the ages of 12 and 24. Where are tweens and younger GenZers spending most of their time? The answer is gaming.” Loftis and her team partnered with marketing agency Dentsu and “dreamed up what it would look like for Differin to integrate directly into Roblox.” [Screenshot: Galderma] A novel approach for skincare Walmart, Fenty Beauty, Crocs, H&M, PacSun, Nike and e.l.f. Beauty are among dozens of major brands that have created their presence in the Roblox metaverse. However, Differin’s entry, according to industry experts, makes it one of the first brands in the acne-care category to now be on Roblox. It is a novel approach by skincare brands trying to connect with young consumers, says Larissa Jensen, senior vice president and global beauty industry advisor at market research firm Circana. “Cosmetics brands, such as e.l.f, have been turning to Roblox to reach a very specific younger demographic. That isn’t new. But, for skincare [brands], it’s a little bit more challenging to integrate skincare into a gaming platform,” Jensen says. “With makeup, you can engage with the brand through gameplay where you put makeup on your avatar. It’s harder to interact in the metaverse with skincare. If Galderma has success with this strategy, you can bet that other brands will be paying attention.” The Roblox activation for Differin involves three mini games (for players ages 13 and up) as part of the brand’s “Level Up Lobby.”  [Screenshot: Galderma] In one game called “Foam Blaster,” the challenge is to use a blaster to clean hovering faces with Differin’s 10% benzoyl peroxide maximum strength foaming cleanser. Players in “Power Patch Splat” launch Differin power patches at the right moment to splat pimples. In “Zit Zapper,” the objective is to zap zits as they appear on hovering faces with Differin’s 10% Benzoyl Peroxide spot treatment. The goal with these roblox games, said Loftis, is to create brand awareness and educate “Gen Zalpa” (Gen Alpha and younger GenZers) about skincare through gamifying acne care and integrating Differin into that experience. Although players can’t buy Differin products on Roblox, they are able to upload their receipt for any Differin purchase to unlock virtual rewards in the games. “What we didn’t want to do was to have this look like ad necessarily, in the traditional sense,” says Loftis. “Two reasons for that. We are not able to target anyone under the age of 13, or to target people specifically that have acne. But what we can do is make that assumption about where 80% of acne sufferers are. They are Gen Zalpa and they’re on Roblox. [Screenshot: Galderma] Chasing the Roblox “Gold Rush” Clay Colarusso, head of TeenVoice, a teen market research and insights company, is very familiar with the “Gold Rush” of brands to the Roblox metaverse as they strive to capture the attention of the youngest shoppers and influence their future spending habits. Marketers trying to unlock the tween and teen markets and the billions of household dollars that they’re either influencing their parents to spend, or the dollars they’re spending directly, has been happening for decades, says Colarusso. “I’m a child of the 80s and I distinctly remember the toy and breakfast cereal commercials that would play one after another as I watched Saturday morning cartoons,” says Colarusso. “Kids back then would go to mom and dad and ask them to put the toy on the birthday wishlist.” The difference today, he says, is that the path to purchase is much shorter through digital marketing than it was with traditional media in the 80s. “If I’m on Roblox and I have an opportunity to buy, and maybe even have my parent’s credit card already preloaded in there, I can purchase immediately. Or, I can influence my parents to buy it for me,” Colarusso says. “It’s a marketer’s dream. But where it gets tricky is on the data side.” Brands have to be careful when they target young consumers. The Federal Trade Commission, through its Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), prohibits companies, websites and online services from collecting personal information of children under 13 without parental approval. “The concern is really less about brands marketing to this demographic, with certain obvious exceptions, and more about data collection and privacy concerns especially when dealing with consumers under 13,” Colarusso says. “This is why folks get really nervous when they think about marketing or how to market to kids, and rightfully so. They need to behave in a judicious and prudent way.”Roblox says on its website that the platform is “compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) and other international regulatory standards.” For people 13 and older who are eligible to see ads, Roblox said ads “must be clearly and prominently disclosed using simple and understandable language.” “Hate to be sold to” According to Galderma, in less than 30 days after the Differin Roblox games launched, the Differin “Level Up Lobby” campaign (which ends on May 31) has attracted more than three million visits with more than 365,000 mini games and nearly 12,000 hours of brand engagement on the gaming platform. “We know that Gen Zalpha hates being sold to. These are games. If they struggle with acne, we hope to educate them about skincare through gaming that resonates,” says Loftis. “If not, it’s still a fun game.” So far, she says a fairly high number of people playing the games are “playing them completely.” “We went big on our gaming, which means we basically moved away 100% from traditional advertising for Differin,” Loftis says. “Gen Zalpha isn’t going to buy an acne patch because they see an ad. They’re going to buy it because they see a really compelling before and after result that their favorite gamer or TikToker talks about.”