Coffee N° 5 with Lara Schmoisman

Episode: Eternal Beauty: Redefining Skincare and Self-Worth with Alec Batis

Date: September 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this enriching and candid episode, host Lara Schmoisman sits down with Alec Batis—former marketing head for icons like Victoria’s Secret Beauty and NARS Cosmetics, chemist, and founder of Sweet Chemistry—to unravel the complexities of beauty, aging, and self-worth. Together, they discuss how personal narratives, industry trends, and groundbreaking science intersect to redefine what eternal beauty means today, and how brands can (and should) move beyond skin-deep solutions.

The episode weaves together Alec’s personal journey, cultural and industry insights, evolving beauty ideals, and the science behind his new brand—all with warmth, candor, and actionable wisdom.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Pursuit of Eternal Beauty vs. Self-Acceptance (00:05–10:27)

• Lara's Opening Reflections:

  • Recalls a personal moment at a concert (00:41–02:24) about assumptions around age and beauty, sparking a discussion on how we continually chase youth and beauty.
  • “Are we chasing that eternal beauty all the time? And I know I do. I want to feel the best I can.” — Lara

• Alec’s Early Fascination and Industry Entry:

  • Alec admits his obsession with “eternal youth” from childhood, influenced by societal pressure and family history.
  • “It's not about anti-aging, it's about, well, aging. But underneath it all, there is this desire to keep your youth as long as possible... The closer you look to the end of life is not desirable because people are... afraid of death.” — Alec (02:45–03:29)

• Beauty and Health:

  • Perceptions of health, youth, and desirability are tightly linked in society.
  • The shifting narrative in the industry toward “longevity,” not just anti-aging.

• Family Influence & The Roots of Insecurity:

  • Alec's mother's upbringing taught her (and him) that a woman's beauty was her value and her key to love and acceptance.
  • “How you look to the world is really critical in terms of being accepted by the world and being loved. And so it's important to hold on to what you have as long as possible, right? Beauty, your beauty, your appearance. And this is why I sort of had such strong insecurities and why I went to get my degree in chemistry...” — Alec (06:08–07:45)

2. Reckoning with Industry Standards & Personal Growth (08:28–14:37)

• Marketing the ‘Ideal,’ Chasing Perfection:

  • Alec confesses to having bought into the standard beauty ideals during his marketing roles (“retouch[ing] the hell out of these models” at Victoria’s Secret Beauty).
  • “I bought the Kool Aid... There's this ideal that you need to reach in order to be your best.” — Alec (08:35–09:08)

• Therapy and the Realization of True Beauty:

  • After years in the industry and personal therapy, Alec shifted his belief: “the pursuit of being young, looking as attractive as possible... was not making me happy. It was making me miserable.”
  • The true joy and meaning came from respectful and value-driven relationships—not appearance.
  • “If you want any meaning in your life, the true beauty is when you treat people with respect... and you value other human beings for who they are.” — Alec (10:17–10:21)

• Reevaluating Social Circles and Personal Worth:

  • Alec withdrew from superficial circles, stopped equating self-worth to looking young, and saw intrinsic value beyond outward appearance.
  • “If I start looking 60 tomorrow, I'll still be beautiful... as a human being with value.” — Alec (13:05–13:35)

3. The Fiber of Beauty: Beyond the Surface (11:47–14:37)

• Industry as ‘Juice’ vs. ‘Fiber’:

  • Alec uses an analogy: the beauty industry is “the juice—full of sugar,” but real nourishment comes from the “fiber”—the deeper components of personal growth, creativity, and expression.
  • “We focus so much on the outside that we forgot the fiber of beauty... learning and expanding yourself as a person is the fiber of beauty.” — Alec (11:48–12:34)

• Role of the Arts & Whole-Person Development:

  • Supporting arts and education as integral to holistic beauty.

4. Wellness, Meaning, and Authentic Storytelling in Beauty Brands (14:37–17:26)

• Rise of Wellness and Mental Health:

  • Lara and Alec agree that brands integrating wellness and mental health are gaining traction.
  • Alec cites Rare Beauty and Selena Gomez’s sincerity in addressing mental health as an evolution in industry messaging enabled by more immediate, two-way communication (e.g., social media).
  • “The world is craving for more meaning in beauty. And so this is why brands... are promoting other aspects of beauty, not just looking good.” — Alec (15:40–16:28)

• Trend vs. Authenticity:

  • Consumers can sense whether messaging is trend-driven or genuine.

• FOMO & Trend Adoption:

  • Lara notes “when something is trending, many times it's like FOMO. They cannot not do it.” (17:27)

5. Science, Innovation, and the Birth of Sweet Chemistry (18:24–36:03)

5.1. Reluctance Turned Inspiration (18:24–20:50)

• Alec's initial resistance to launching a new brand—preferring consulting—but changed after exposure to Xylex Bio, a medical lab spun out of Columbia University, innovating organ rehabilitation technology.

5.2. Revolutionary Science Meets Skincare (20:51–24:32)

• Xylex Bio’s Medical Breakthroughs:

  • Regenerating damaged lungs for transplant using biomaterials; potential to revolutionize global organ transplant access.
  • “I was just blown away. If those [trials] are successful, that would effectively wipe the organ transplant wait list around the world.” — Alec (22:52–23:22)

• From Medical Lab to Skincare:

  • Utilizing their peptide biochemistry technology (over 315 bioactive peptides from upcycled bovine bone) in skincare.
  • Alec notes the difference: most cosmetic peptides are synthetic mimics, while these are naturally derived, medical-grade peptides.

5.3. Exosomes, Delivery Systems, & Industry Hype (24:32–27:39)

• Alec explains the distinction between real exosome technology (requiring extreme cold storage) and what most beauty brands offer (mere lipid envelopes, or “liposomes”).
  • “No university we've ever worked with or ourselves can keep [exosomes] stable at more than an hour under very, very... stringent conditions...” — Alec (25:29–26:39)
  • The real advantage may be in advanced delivery systems—not active signaling.

5.4. Sweet Chemistry's Philosophy and Market Niche (27:39–36:15)

• Target Audience:

  • Alec: “Our customer is me. Me and my different stages of life.” (28:09–28:13)

• Technology & Transparency:

  • Sweet Chemistry uniquely licenses cutting-edge peptide tech from Xylex Bio (medical-grade, only available to them for cosmetics), while supporting ongoing medical research via perpetual license.

• Formulation Authenticity:

  • Alec shares industry secrets: most actives in skincare are at “marketing levels” (minimal concentration for label claims). His own formulas reduce water, increase actives to “functional levels,” and he invites other brands to do the same—even offering for brands to get around his patent for the greater good.
  • “In the world of transparency that we live in, there's just no place for marketing levels in skincare anymore.” — Alec (34:04–34:14)

• Social Impact:

  • Proceeds and visibility support medical research, young scientists, and artists—expanding the definition of beauty to include purpose and creativity (termed “whole beauty” by Alec).
  • “Now I want to make sure that other young people don't fall into that trap of thinking everything is about this [appearance].” — Alec (36:03–36:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you want any meaning in your life, the true beauty is when you treat people with respect... and you value other human beings for who they are.” — Alec Batis, 10:17
• “We focus so much on the outside that we forgot the fiber of beauty.” — Alec Batis, 12:03
• “In the world of transparency that we live in, there's just no place for marketing levels in skincare anymore.” — Alec Batis, 34:04
• “The world is craving for more meaning in beauty.” — Alec Batis, 16:28
• “Now I want to make sure that other young people don't fall into that trap of thinking everything is about this.” — Alec Batis, 36:03

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Chasing Eternal Beauty – Setting the Stage (00:41–03:45)
• Cultural & Family Conditioning About Beauty (05:05–08:28)
• Alec’s Industry Experience & Epiphany (08:35–10:27)
• Juice vs. Fiber Analogy—What Is Real Beauty? (11:47–12:34)
• Wellness/Mental Health and Industry Trends (14:37–16:28)
• How ‘Sweet Chemistry’ Was Born – Bridging Medicine & Skincare (18:24–24:32)
• Exosomes, Science, & The Truth About Ingredients (24:32–27:39)
• Formulation Transparency & Inviting Industry Change (32:13–34:03)
• Social Impact & Expanding Beauty’s Meaning (35:16–36:15)

The Coffee Moment

• How does Alec drink his coffee?
  • With a straw, to avoid staining his teeth (“I pay too much to get them whitened!”) (36:21–36:35).
  • Iced with cinnamon in the afternoon, hot in the morning to wake up (36:39–36:45).
  • “Very nice. Okay. So cheers with coffee.” — Lara Schmoisman (36:45)

Closing Thoughts

Alec Batis and Lara Schmoisman champion a larger, deeper notion of “eternal beauty”—one that transcends mere appearance to include health, meaning, personal values, and community impact. Alec’s openness about his personal journey and willingness to challenge industry practices lends authority and heartfelt authenticity, both to the episode and his new brand.

Listeners walk away inspired to rethink their relationship with beauty—whether as consumers or industry insiders—and empowered to seek the “fiber,” not just the “sugar,” in their self-care rituals.

For more, visit: larashmoisman.com or check the episode notes.