In this conversation, we spoke with Alain Dijkstra, founder and CEO of Nuon Medical, about embedding clinically validated energy technologies into everyday skincare packaging and where engineering, safety, and sustainability constraints shape what is possible.
Q: You spent nearly two decades building surgical and operating-room technologies before founding Nuon. Was there a specific engineering moment when you realized that clinically validated modalities like photobiomodulation or microcurrent had crossed the threshold where they could be safely miniaturized and embedded into everyday cosmetic packaging? What physical or thermal constraint was hardest to overcome in that transition?
A: From our early work in clinical and medical devices, we always believed light and microcurrent had potential beyond standalone tools. The realization came when it became clear we could move these clinically validated modalities out of bulky systems and still deliver safe, effective energy directly at the skin interface.
The hardest constraint was thermal management and stability. Once you move into compact, consumer-friendly formats, there’s very little margin for heat buildup or output drift. Our engineering focus became maintaining consistent performance without discomfort, which ultimately shaped our materials choices and system design.
Q: Nuon’s “Device-in-Packaging” architecture effectively turns primary packaging from a passive container into an active treatment engine. In your view, what fundamental limitation of traditional formula-first skincare does this architecture actually solve, and why couldn’t chemistry alone address it?
A: Traditional skincare has focused almost entirely on what’s inside the package, while overlooking how products interact with skin at the moment of application. Even the most refined chemistry is limited if delivery isn’t optimized.
Our Device-in-Packaging approach activates that interface. By coupling technology with formulation, we help products perform more consistently on skin. Chemistry alone can’t reliably address challenges like penetration variability or user technique at scale, but an active delivery system can.
Q: You’ve emphasized vertical integration, down to LED chips, tooling systems, and core components. In an industry optimized for fast OEM cycles, why was owning the full stack a strategic necessity rather than an operational risk? How does this level of control change your ability to innovate at the wavelength, power density, or thermal level?
A: Early on, we realized that without control over the critical layers of the system, we’d always be constrained by someone else’s limits. Vertical integration wasn’t about taking on risk — it was about enabling meaningful innovation.
Owning the full stack allows us to fine-tune how energy is delivered, how heat is managed, and how performance holds up over time. That level of control is essential for delivering consistent, differentiated results in a compact format.
Q: Skin is biologically designed as a barrier. From a biophysical perspective, how do Nuon’s microcurrent or electrokinetic systems temporarily alter membrane permeability without causing long-term disruption? Where is the line between enhancement and interference?
A: Skin’s barrier function is fundamental, and our goal has never been to force it open. Instead, we use controlled, low-energy stimuli to support natural processes like circulation, ion transport, and absorption.
The line between enhancement and interference is defined by safety. We operate within well-established clinical parameters and remain well below damage thresholds, so the effect is temporary modulation rather than long-term disruption.
Q: Red light at ~630 nm and blue light at ~415 nm are well studied in clinical settings, but consumer deployment introduces strict safety and power constraints. How does Nuon ensure that low-power, embedded systems still reach the biological energy thresholds required to stimulate ATP production or photodynamic antibacterial effects?
A: The key isn’t increasing power — it’s controlling how energy reaches the skin. We focus on consistent contact and controlled delivery so the energy applied is biologically meaningful, even at consumer-safe levels.
By designing the interface carefully, we ensure that the wavelengths we use can achieve their intended effects without generating excess heat or discomfort.
Q: At CES 2026, Nuon signaled a shift from treatment toward diagnostics with integrated biosensing probes. Embedding bio-impedance or hydration sensors into consumer-grade packaging is non-trivial. How do you maintain signal reliability and acceptable noise levels at that scale and cost?
A: At this scale, noise and variability are unavoidable. Our approach combines smart hardware design with signal processing strategies that focus on consistency rather than absolute precision.
The goal is not clinical instrumentation, but reliable, usable insight. If the signal can’t be interpreted clearly, it doesn’t create value.
Q: With the introduction of NFC-enabled devices and the Skin Diary concept, packaging becomes an IoT node that captures longitudinal usage and physiological data. Do you see Nuon evolving from a hardware company into a data intelligence layer for skincare R&D, potentially influencing formulation design itself?
A: Yes. Longitudinal usage and response data provide context that lab testing alone can’t capture. Over time, these insights can inform how products are designed and optimized.
Nuon’s role is to bridge real-world outcomes with formulation development, helping brands align performance claims with how products are actually used.
Q: These data streams originate in highly private environments and include biometric signals. In Nuon’s architecture, who ultimately owns this data: the user, the brand, or the technology provider? How do you design privacy protection as a default system property rather than a policy afterthought?
A: Our position is clear: the user owns their data. Privacy is not an add-on; it’s built into the system architecture.
Data is protected through encryption and consent-based sharing, and only aggregated or explicitly approved insights are shared with partners.
Q: There is a clear tension between embedding electronics into packaging and the industry’s push toward recyclability and minimal material complexity. From a full lifecycle assessment perspective, how do you argue that a durable, reusable smart packaging system is environmentally preferable to traditional single-use solutions?
A: Sustainability isn’t just about reducing materials — it’s about reducing waste overall. Inconsistent performance often leads to overuse or discarded products.
A durable, reusable system that delivers consistent results can reduce total product and material waste over time, making performance and sustainability closely linked.
Q: End-of-life remains one of the hardest problems for hybrid materials that combine plastics, metals, and batteries. Is Nuon actively exploring reverse logistics, modular separation, or material-level innovation to address electronic waste beyond consumer behavior alone?
A: Yes. We’re designing modular systems so key components can be separated, recovered, or reused rather than discarded entirely.
End-of-life is a design responsibility, and addressing it requires coordination across partners and supply chains — it’s part of our roadmap.
Q: You’ve stated that scalp care may evolve faster than facial anti-aging. Given the complexity of follicles, vascularization, and microbiomes, how does the engineering logic of Nuon’s scalp-focused devices differ from facial systems in terms of wavelength selection, current modulation, or treatment geometry?
A: The scalp presents a more complex interface than facial skin, from hair density to follicle structure. That requires different approaches to contact geometry and energy delivery.
While the core principles remain the same, scalp applications need deeper penetration and more tailored interaction to be effective.
Q: Looking ahead, do you envision Nuon remaining a “silent partner” to global brands, or could “Powered by Nuon” eventually become a visible trust signal similar to how certain semiconductor or medical standards reshaped consumer expectations? At what point does infrastructure become identity?
A: We began as a silent partner by design. Over time, as consumers become more aware of how performance is delivered, the technology itself can become a marker of trust.
Infrastructure becomes identity when it consistently delivers results users can feel and recognize.
