## 4 Conclusions  
In this study, varnish removal was verified using surfactant-free water-in-oil gelled emulsions containing benzyl alcohol (BAI/w), with three different gelling agents of the aqueous dispersant phase (xanthan gum, agar-agar and polyacrylate), proposed as an alternative to organic solvents. Surfactant-free gelled emulsions can be prepared in both liquid and preformed forms. To prevent the solvent action of BAI, temporary hydrophobization with the siloxane cyclomethicone D5 was proposed. The influence of a neutral and an alkaline pH was evaluated considering the ionizing power towards terpene molecules and acid species present in the artwork. Using infrared spectroscopy and SEM-EDS, it was possible to observe that, on the surface of the oil painting and at the morphological level, there was no damage caused by the treatments but only the almost total removal of the varnish layer. A fundamental contribution to quantify the leaching of each treatment applied was obtained by GC/MS. Using BAI effectively removes the varnish from the surfaces. However, this treatment also causes significant leaching of fatty acids, in particular  
Figure 7: SEM-EDS image of cross-section of sample 3 after treatment with xanthan and BAI. Elementary maps of zinc (light blue), barium (yellow), sulfur (orange), titanium (white), and calcium (pink). Scale bar: 200 μm.  
C9 di, C16, and C18. The addition of D5 reduces this interaction but does not eliminate it completely. The pH of the aqueous phase influences both varnish removal and leaching. A higher pH increases the varnish removal but also leads to increased leaching. A silicone barrier can reduce leaching by acting as a barrier between the active solvent and the varnish layer. Additionally, using gel or pre-formed treatments helps mitigate interaction with underlying layers and minimize leaching.  
Conceptualization, A.C. and P.C.; methodology, P.C. and E.I.; validation, P.C. and A.C.; formal analysis, M.P., S.G., S.V., and E.I.; investigation, M.P., P.C., S.V., and E.I.; data curation, M.P. and P.C.; writing--original draft preparation, M.P. and P.C.; writing--review and editing, M.P., P.C., and A.C.; supervision, A.C. and P.C.; project administration, A.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was supported by NextGenerationEU--Italian Ministry of University and Research, National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP); Project \"Ecosystem for Sustainable Transition in Emilia-Romagna (Ecosister)\"; Project code ECS00000033. Project title: Innovative cleaning proposals for the conservation of polychrome works of art.  
Not applicable.  
The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.  
This work has benefited from the equipment and framework of the COMP-R Initiative, funded by the 'Departments of Excellence' program of the Italian Ministry for University and Research (MUR, 2023-2027).  
Author [PERSON] was employed by the company Breraut Restauri Srls. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.