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

Summary

Coffee N° 5 with Lara Schmoisman

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

Date: September 16, 2025

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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.

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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)

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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

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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)

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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)

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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.

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

Transcript

[Lara Schmoisman]

Foreign.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

This is coffee number five. I'm your host, Lara Schmoisman. Hi, everyone. How are you today? We are here today with my warm coffee and so happy, so, so happy because we're gonna talk about eternal beauty and how to find. I mean, in mythology, in all the books, all the painters, everyone was just trying to show beauty and how they will see beauty. We are surrounded by beauty. Actually, last night I went to a concert and with my son. Yes, I'm so glad my son still takes me to concerts. I enjoy going with him. But you know what? I felt so proud how far we came. There were people in so many ways and forms, and we became a lot more open. And what we judge beauty. And there is a much bigger acceptance, at least here in California, Los Angeles, where I live at the time. And I felt so proud that we can all coexist. And there was a respect there. But at the same time, something very unique happened to me. I was in the bathroom line because this happened and Let me pass pause for a second. I will tell the story, but I want our guests to be part of this story too. So I want to welcome Alec. Thank you so much for being here.

[Alec Batiste]

Thank you for having me.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

So I. We will get to you for a second, but I want to tell the story that happened to me tonight. Last night, actually. So I was in the bathroom line and there is this woman, she was around my age, and she had a drawing of a third eye in her forehead, which was very interesting. I'm cool with it. And the girl who was after her online, tell her, oh, that eye is cute. And said, thank you. My daughter did for me. And she a woman same age. Like we smile politely to each other. So the girl behind said, oh, is she your daughter talking about me? I felt so terrible for her. What a moment. So, so uncomfortable. And I. That got me thinking. The perception of this girl that she thought I was younger than the woman that I was not younger. But are we chasing that eternal beauty all the time? And I know I do. I know that I want to feel the best I can. And what do you think, Alec?

[Alec Batiste]

I can very much relate. This is the whole reason why I'm in this industry. I was obsessed with it, chasing eternal youth.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay.

[Alec Batiste]

Since a child just obsessed with it. I think I agree with you. It's something that is out there. We talk about the pressures of society, having to look a certain way, having to look young. This whole idea of like, you know, it's not about anti aging, it's about, well, aging and all this. But underneath it all, there is this desire. There's this desire to keep your youth as long as possible. And it. I'm no psychiatrist, but, or psychologist, but I, I assume it's like the closer you are to the end of life, this closer you look to the end of life is not desirable because people are. Tend to be afraid of death, right?

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah.

[Alec Batiste]

So as much as we try to be like, oh, we're just, you know, all wonderful different people and aging is a sign of like accomplishment in life, which it is. It is understandable why people have an issue with aging and looking.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

Aging.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

But let me ask you a question. Is this about eternal youth or eternal beauty? Can we say, are they?

[Alec Batiste]

I think so.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Why?

[Alec Batiste]

Because again, not a psychiatrist, but it's the desirability of sort of, you know, evolution and mating and health. Health is thought to come with youth.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

And beauty and health are attached because when you see someone who looks healthy, that's oftentimes associated more to youth than age. Because with age, you know, health deteriorates naturally.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Do you think that. Because I see a switch in the industry and I think we're talking a lot more about ageism and there's. Some people just want to, to live with it and say this is great and it's normal and it's healthy, which I don't 100% agree with it because I just want to feel the best I can. I mean, I'm not gonna go and change my face, but I gonna try to make my beauty stage or my you stage as long as we can. So we can call it maybe longevity.

[Alec Batiste]

Sure, we can call it whatever anyone wants.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay.

[Alec Batiste]

And I think like my mom is 90 and she's never done a thing and she's gorgeous and she's stunning.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

What's so stunning about her too is that she really, even though she says I, I look, I do not look like I did in my youth. And my beauty in the, in the respect is gone. But I appreciate who I am now and I think that's beautiful.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

She's come a long way. On the other hand, I think I.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Know your mom's secret too. She might be using some sweet, sweet products out there.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Sure.

[Alec Batiste]

Exactly. Yes. She's using sweet chemistry. Let's get the plug in there.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay.

[Alec Batiste]

But you know, it's also because she's healthy, like so she's, you know, she's been a physical phys. Ed teacher and yoga teacher since the 70s, right. She's eaten. She's eaten raw and healthy. Since. Since the beginning of time. But there's other others of us, including myself, who are much more insecure. I am just insecure about how I appear to the world. And. And I've worked on it. I've worked on it. But that's what got me into this industry is this idea of eternal beauty and eternal youth. Like. Like intermixed. I'll say some of the reasons why is cuz, for example, my grandmother, she was sold as a bride from Japan to come to Canada. Actually, not the States, but Canada. And so. And then my mom was born during the Second World War in the internment camps of Canada, you know, when the Japanese attacked Pearl harbor and mom was put into their internment camp. So you can imagine the Japanese were not thought of as. Were not looked upon very, you know, well back then. And so my mom grew up with this idea that a woman is sold for her beauty, right? And that for as long as she has it, she's able to be loved and taken care of and desired. But when that goes, so does the ability to be loved. So when my father left when she was in her, like, mid-30s, her response was, well, it's my fault because I'm no longer beautiful as I used to be. So therefore, it's understandable that a man would leave. And that's sort of the teachings she grew up with, because a woman is only property, right? Of a certain value. So she told me that while it's very important what's on the inside, that she was going to sort of, you know, tell me, tell me something I should know. That even though what's important on the inside, what's on the inside is important. That really 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, because I was determined to figure out how to look as good as I can, as long as I can. Because I thought that's what love was tied to. I've since learned a lot in therapy. That. That really. That is not it.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

You're kind of a therapist then?

[Lara Schmoisman]

What?

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

You're kind of a therapist. You said that you weren't before, but you learned so much.

[Alec Batiste]

I learned. I learned, yes, because my insecur priorities were. So this is why I went into beauty. This is why I was marketing for Victoria's Secret Beauty this is why, for Body by Victoria, I reta. I had them retouch the hell out of these models. Any little imperfection I made sure was retouched out. And because I bought the Kool Aid, that appearances were so important, that there's this ideal that. That you need to reach in order to be your best.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

And how you feel about it today.

[Alec Batiste]

And that was in the 90s.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay.

[Alec Batiste]

You know, the supermodel times.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yes.

[Alec Batiste]

Exactly. Yes. But I was very unhappy. I then went on to head up marketing for NARS Cosmetics, and I again bought the Kool Aid. And then going through therapy, I realized that, like, my pursuit of being young, looking as. As a. As attractive as you possibly can, is the first goal in life was not making me happy, it was making me miserable. The people I was connecting with, there was no value and no meaning, Right. The relationships I was having. So finally did a bunch of therapy, and I finally learned that. That while it's nice to have the outward appearance and to look great and, you know, it opens up a lot of doors and, you know, all this, that. That if you want any meaning in your life, that the true beauty is when you treat people with respect, you find others that feel the same, that have those values, that you are there for people when they need you and vice versa, and that you value other human beings for who they are.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

And that brings meaning and. And.

[Lara Schmoisman]

And.

[Alec Batiste]

And a joy in life that is unsurpassable versus just like, being fabulous and looking amazing.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right?

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

So that's how you feel today. So how was your transition and how it affect your life, your routines, your social life, and what changes you have to make in order to get where you are today? And we're gonna get where you are today in a minute.

[Alec Batiste]

So. So if I understand the question correctly, there was just being in the beauty industry, right? It was like the Kool Aid wasn't tasting really good anymore. You know, how we're supposed to be. People were calling me a beauty expert, right? Because I'd worked in R and D and marketing and all for decades. And the press would be like, alec Batiste, beauty expert. And I started to think to myself, if we are the beauty industry, right, and we are beauty experts after I don't know how long working in it, then don't we have a responsibility to the world, to the people at large, community, to not just talk about beauty on the surface level? And I feel like the beauty industry, it's kind of like fruit and juice. I feel like the beauty industry is focused on the Sugar part, the juice part of the fruit, the appearance, the outward appearance, which we all know juice is great, has lots of antioxidants, but it also has a lot of sugar, and it's going to make you get sick with diabetes.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

And we all forget about the fiber of the fruit.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right?

[Alec Batiste]

Juice isn't the best part. It's the whole fruit with the fiber. And I feel like the same thing with beauty. We focus so much on the outside that we forgot the fiber of beauty. And that to me is like, so this is why sweet chemistry. Like, we support the arts, we support young people in the arts because the arts is about all the disciplines, about expression of oneself. More than just my perfect nose and my perfect this and my perfect abs.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

It's in fine arts and music and literature and learning and expanding yourself as a person is expanding your. Is the fiber of beauty.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

So so much more than just the outside. So I just sort of started to focus on parts. Parts of beauty that hadn't been expressed before in the industry.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

So do you think that when you make this switch, you had to make changes in your lifestyle, in your social life, or those changes were happening organically because you had to detach yourself?

[Alec Batiste]

Yes. So, yes, I started to make changes. I started to make changes in who I hung out with.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

All of a sudden, I wasn't attracted to the same type of. After the therapy, after. After learning that I am more than just how I look. All my life, people have said, oh, you look, you know, younger than you are, or you look. And I started to equate the value of myself that way. And then through therapy, I learned that I'm much more than that and that who I am doesn't depend on that at all. If I. If I start looking 60 tomorrow, I'll still be beautiful. Do you know what I mean? Like, as a. As a human being with value.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

Yeah.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

I, when my kids were little, I. They. I remember parents being very competitive, and I realized that either I can get into that train or trying to raise the best human being they could possibly be.

[Alec Batiste]

Yes.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

So. And I think that that happened the same with beauty is like, you can define your own beauty and you can be the best version of yourself.

[Alec Batiste]

Exactly. Yes. This balanced. This balanced approach to it. It's just the beauty industry has never supported this balanced approach to beauty. The beauty industry usually just focuses on that one aspect of physical beauty. But really, if we're the beauty industry, we should be responsible to talk about everything internal as well. We should be educating ourselves and Teaching that beauty is not just right, skin deep. And we should really be promoting the fiber of beauty, not just the sugary juice of it.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Something that I've been seeing consistently in the last few years in the beauty industry is that I see that new brands and the brands that they are successful are the ones who really has a wellness aspect.

[Alec Batiste]

True. Yes, I've seen that too.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Do you see that this is something that the beauty industry had taken from people that are demanding that or they see it as the next trend of beauty.

[Alec Batiste]

So I look at like say rare beauty, for example, right. And I remember she, when she first came out it was all about like mental health, right. Like who you are as a person in terms of your beauty.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

And I heard that she struggled with mental health, right. And issues. And to me it felt sincere, right. That, that to be talking about that when you could just be talking about that, the makeup, right. So I think it's. There's now a communication vehicle, right. Like with social media and just more much immediate impact.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

Before remember it used to be to get a message to someone, it was in oroffice email, you typed it on a typewriter, someone picked it up and took it to another floor and they would read it. Like communication has just gotten so much more fluid now that I think two way street now, it's a two way street now, right? So we can question things and on, on in real time. And so I think it's a natural evolution to sort of question our thoughts about beauty and how one dimensional it's been as an industry. And I think the world is craving for more meaning in beauty. And so this is why brands that some brands that are speaking about that sincerely and promoting other aspects of beauty not just looking good, like looking good is great. Like we love to look good, right?

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

We do love to look good.

[Alec Batiste]

We love to look good, but we love to.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

We love you more to feel good.

[Alec Batiste]

Exactly right. Like, and I don't think it's just about accepting our age and aging gracefully and all that. Like I think it's also about having meaning in your life and how important that is to feel beautiful. And whether that be through mental health, whether that be through your education and encouraging young people to, you know, become artists or scientists or, or you know, promoting the. Not just how perfect your nose or like how short your crop top is on, on TikTok, right? Or like being able to promote all sorts of aspects of who you are and what brings you, what makes you beautiful. I think is, is the next you called you Know, you mentioned it could be the next trend, but you know, when it comes to sort of meaning. Meaning in terms of beauty, people can see through if it's trend driven or if it's sincere.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

So I think people can see both. But still, when something is very trending, people many times is like fomo. They cannot.

[Alec Batiste]

Yes.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Not do it.

[Alec Batiste]

Totally. Yes, exactly. It gives them permission as well.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah.

[Alec Batiste]

To talk about other things that in the concept of beauty besides just my, you know, how gorgeous my skin is.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

So, Alec, I. I love you, what you believe and what you're talking about, but you also went ahead and. And created another brand in the world of beauty, which makes it really special coming from you with all your experience and to understand. And this is what I love about you, that you have a reason to bring another beauty brand into the world. And because there are so many brands that are coming to the world and. But you, you look at ingredients and they're all the same.

[Alec Batiste]

Yes.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

So why you decided that it was time to bring sweet chemistry to. To the world and how was it born? The idea.

[Alec Batiste]

Yes. Okay, so. So no plans on bringing sweet chemistry to the world? Are you freaking crazy? There's no way.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah.

[Alec Batiste]

Skincare line or beauty line? No way. I get you. I'm going to consult for other brands, make my monthly retainer, and then leave them Friday afternoon.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Yes.

[Alec Batiste]

And let them worry about, you know, everything.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

That's so naughty. Oh, sorry, not.

[Alec Batiste]

That's. That that was me until 55.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

And I'd seen since. Since the 90s. So many brands, like, do really well for 10 years, 15 years. I killed it in Sephora, you know, this and that. They work 24, 7 and then they failed and then they still had to work after that. So I was like, even if you're a success in the industry for 10 years, that doesn't get mean any. That doesn't guarantee you anything.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

No.

[Alec Batiste]

So I decided I'm happy consulting. And the problem was is I had met a potential client named Xylex Bio. And they are a lab that spun out of Columbia University's lab for stem cell and tissue engineering. And every time I go see a new client, it's usually a cute little office in Tribeca or, you know, somewhere cute. And this time they asked me to come to their lab at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center. And it's the first time I've ever been invited to an actual lab.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

To meet a potential client. So I was like, that's interesting. And so I went. And when I Got there, the first two floors were the AIDS vaccine lab and the second two floors are the tissue engineering lab, right. And I'm thinking, oh, wow, this is like, this is, this is different, right? And even, even I thought, okay, if I'm going to a lab, maybe it's a beauty lab where it's like bok choy extract or a asparagus, little things, you know, make. We're kind of pulling what's trending, a mushroom, peptide something. And so I thought, I'll get there and it'll be whatever. It'll be a beauty lab and we'll just have fun marketing. Marketing a new mushroom something or whatever, right?

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah.

[Alec Batiste]

And then when I got there and I was like, they were explaining to me that they were spinnered over to Columbia and that they were working on biomaterials for tissue engineering. So repairing lung tissue during surgery when it can get easily punctured. And so they're, you know, making biomaterials to seal and heal punctures and in lung tissue during surgery and that with their partners at Columbia, by the way, that's incredible. I mean, I'm like, that's mind blowing. Mind blowing. And in the fridge is there, there's human organs, you know, so I'm just.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Like, how did you get them to do.

[Alec Batiste]

Well, you'll see. I. I was like, what is this? And then they told me that how their main project and they're going into human trials this year, but their main project was organ rehabilitation and transplant. So in 2019, they were able to take a deceased donor lung that was too damaged for transplant. About three out of four lungs that are donated after, you know, an accident are too damaged, so they get thrown in the garbage, right? And hence long wait list for organ transplant. So in 2019, they took a deceased damaged donor lung. And then with their partners at Columbia University, Stanford, Vanderbilt, NYU, Langone & Stevens, the team, they took the deceased donor lung and they were able to regenerate it with the biomaterials and systems within two days to be transplantable. And that was hailed by New York Times as a miracle, right. In clinical study. So then this year they're moving into the first human trial. So they're doing compassionate use case human trial where someone who's going to die imminently because they've been on the wait list too long and they volunteer. So this year, X, Alex and the Academia team will do the first human trial on a lung rehabilitation and transplant. And if that works, then they move.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

You're giving me the chills I mean.

[Alec Batiste]

It'S just really incredible, right? And like I was just blown away. Of course. And then if those, if those work, then they move into heart, heart, liver and kidney trials. And if those are successful, that would effectively wipe the organ transplant wait list around the world, globally. So that anyone around the world will be able to get a basic, basically get a refurbished organ, you know, like on Amazon when you can order the refurbished version. Yes, basically that.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

So I was like, this is beautiful.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

It is beautiful. It's giving life in the hope of life.

[Alec Batiste]

So many like, I was like this is beautiful. I really love this. And then they said, we tried to bring it to. So they said they've worked on these biomaterials, these major kind peptides that are derived, that are extracted directly from organ tissue. These ones specifically from upcycled bovine bone. So instead of like say the beauty industry, where for 25 years we've had, you know, some, a few synthetic peptides meant to mimic matrikine peptides. In fact, when you read the brochures from 25 years ago and today in the, in the beauty peptides, they say these peptides are meant to sort of mimic a few of the extracellular matrix matrikine peptides. What X Bio did with eight years and $8 million in government funding. The beauty, the beauty of these is that the peptide technology is funded by the government. It's medical research. So I don't have to pay for any of this research. It's already being done. And they were able to extract over 315 bioactive peptides naturally derived from the upcycled bovine bone.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay, so how, how you feel like how this connected with the exosomes that today is like a trendy word.

[Alec Batiste]

Yes, love exosomes. In fact, Xylex works with exosomes on a daily basis. Right in, in tissue engineering. So if we go to their lab like the, the Wall Street Journal came to the lab. So. And I think you had seen where they said that the science was the strongest for us out of 136 brands. It's because they were showing them how they work with exosomes. But the interesting thing is all over the lab, the two floors of SUNY Downstate Medical center, there are several cryo freezers. This isn't a freezer in your kitchen. This is a freezer that's to negative 80 degrees Celsius.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah, no, it's really cold, right?

[Alec Batiste]

Really cold. And then they have these hoods and they have to like get dressed in these, get ups Right. And they have, like 20 minutes to an hour to work with them before they are nothing.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah.

[Alec Batiste]

And so they're very sensitive.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right. In.

[Alec Batiste]

In terms of regenerative medicine study. And then I'm like, oh, guess what? Xylex, the beauty industry stabilized them in a package and so on the shelf in Sephora. And they're like, oh, no university we've ever worked with or ourselves can keep them stable at more than an hour under very, very, like, stringent, extremely extreme conditions. Yeah, extreme, extreme. And, like, they can just disappear. And so they're like, oh, wow. We'd really love to know how they're doing that, because Xylex is spending a lot of money on the. All of the cryo freezers and. And all the. All the SOPs that they have to maintain in order to be able to work with these highly, highly fragile exosomes. So I was like, you know, and they said, oh, is that why you don't do a neck? They're like, yes. This is why we could never stabilize it like, first for over an hour, never mind in a bottle.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah.

[Alec Batiste]

And so the. The cosmetic industry knows something more than the field of regenerative medicine, apparently.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right, Apparently.

[Alec Batiste]

Apparently. And what they. What Xylex explained to me was, well, I guess if. I guess what you have left after an hour is the lipid sac, or what we call envelope in our industry.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

Which is basically a liposome. It's basically a liposome because it doesn't have any activity.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

So. And I know some people, some brands are talking about exosomes, these envelopes, as a little bit more of a delivery system than actual signaling. Yeah.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

It seems that lately there is a lot of talking about delivery systems instead of signaling for some reason.

[Alec Batiste]

Yes. And that's a little bit more what Xylex thinks is happening. Although Xylex is very open to any cosmetic company that can help them get rid of the cryo freezer.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay.

[Alec Batiste]

I'm sure they would really love that.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yes, absolutely. So tell us a little more about sweet chemistry today. What makes it special? Why you think that the. And where is their place in the shelf where who you use it? Because, as I'm sure you believe, this is not the line for everyone. And I think that we have enough products out there that anyone should find.

[Alec Batiste]

What is for you.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

So who should be looking for and having a great experience with sweet chemistry?

[Alec Batiste]

Yes. Basically our customer is me.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay.

[Alec Batiste]

Me and my different stages of life. I guess this is the good news where it comes to, you know, how difficult it is for a brand. And even though I feel like one of the oldest founders right on earth.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

I have to believe that.

[Alec Batiste]

Thank you. I feel like the experience, the experience of going through all this has gotten me to the point where maybe I'm do I'll be doing this better than I would have when I was younger. That's what I tell myself anyways. So the difference is the reason why we exist is basically threefold. So number one is the peptide technology, right? Yes. It's the only peptide technology in the world. And I've asked every single law firm I can find and every single investor's IP law firm as well, that stays in medicine because even the investors wanted it to be assigned to the brand, the ip, the technology. But this one has to stay in medicine because it's government funded for medical research.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

I see.

[Alec Batiste]

So the technology stays in medicine, but it's perpetually licensed in cosmetics for beauty use. Only two sweet chemistry.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

So just the fact that this is one of, it's one of those technologies that is used and studied in medicine said to me this is something I'd never seen before and was worth bringing to the world.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

Number one. Number two was. And I was never going to come up with my own formulas, but I've used my own formulas since I left the lab. I left the lab in 95. L' Oreal switched me from R and D to marketing in at the l' Oreal Group. When I was in R and D for the first half of the 90s, I was a VA chemist. VA chemist means value analysis chemist. So in the mid 90s, L' Oreal was considering to buy Kiehl's. Kiehl's at the time was a, a compounding pharmacy and they had the Ultra facial moisturizer and it was, you know, very good. And VA chemists, what you do is you take a look. Value analysis means you take a look at potential brands or companies that were going to be bought and you take a look at the formulas to see, see if you can find any cost efficiencies. Basically means bring down the cost of the formula. So when it's purchased you can make more margin on it. Right, of course. So which is important for a big company, right, to do, as long as.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

They don't deliver the quality of the product. That, that happens a lot also when one company is bought for it by another.

[Alec Batiste]

Well, and that's all relative.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

So. So you can blame me or not, but, but basically I was on the team where we took A look. And then the formulation was incredible.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

Cause it was done by a form a pharmacy.

[Lara Schmoisman]

And.

[Alec Batiste]

But we saw lots of cost savings. Which means, you know, in marketing, right, you pick and choose which ingredients you want for story.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah.

[Alec Batiste]

And which ingredients you want for function.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right?

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Absolutely.

[Alec Batiste]

Because you only have 10% to work with in a formula to put in actives. So you have to decide which one. What you want on the ingredient list to talk about for fun and what. Which ones you want to talk about in terms of claims.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

And so unusually, a lot of the antioxidants and some of those, they just get brought down to marketing levels. So I did the same. I brought down a bunch of them down to 0.01% marketing levels just to have the label claim. And then a few of them had functional. Still a great formula.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

But the cost was much less.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

And then. And that gave more margin. And that was. And they were very happy with that. And then they ended up moving me to marketing. But since. Since that was my job, I used to make my own at lunch.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay.

[Alec Batiste]

And what I did is because usually there's only 10 room because the rest is water and emulsifier. I brought down my water content by 30% so that I could put in functional levels of everything I see for myself.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

And that's why you look amazing.

[Alec Batiste]

And that's why I look amazing.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

So I did that for myself. After they moved me to marketing, right. From the R and D, I didn't have the lab anymore lunch hour. So. So I just make it, you know, at home. And. Yeah. For the past 35 years, I've been using functional levels of everything.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

And. And then I had the. Even though I have the patent pending on those emulsions, I knew that anyone can get around them. And guess what? I encourage brands moving forward to not use marketing levels. So we claim it. We claim it on our website. And I'm hoping it becomes a thing where we invite all brands to join. Let's just get rid of story ingredients.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

I think that they are wonderful ingredients. As a marketer, I'm telling you, they're wonderful ingredients. As a marketer, you can make a story about those ingredients. You don't need to do makeup ingredients for stories.

[Alec Batiste]

Yeah. Yes. And. And I think to use functional levels of all ingredients is something, especially if you're in skincare. Like, fine, if I'm a strawberry moisturizer, a strawberry body lotion by some brand, okay. You can just put strawberry extract at marketing level 01 just for story. And it's fine. But if you're in performance skin care, there's no place for marketing levels anymore. I think that, you know, we're inviting any brand to go out and claim on their website and take out story level ingredients out of their formulas and just go with the sort of functional levels. And they're welcome to get around my patent.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah.

[Alec Batiste]

And reduce the water content and put functional levels in there.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

And then that's very generous of you. I think so too. And this way, I think in the world of transparency that we live in, there's just no place for marketing levels in skincare anymore.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

So I think that's the modern evolved approach for our industry and I look forward to the day that everyone claims we don't use, we don't use marketing levels anymore.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

But anyways, that is, I attribute that to sort of my own formula. So that's the second thing. And the third thing is our social impact. So working with our supporting. We're doing a GoFundMe because Xylex lost one of the government grants because of diversity when they were trying to hire a research scientist. They it got pulled overnight a million dollars, you know, and so. And they're used to government funding only. They know nothing about the private sector. And so I'm like, oh well, this is our social impact chance. So we're doing a GoFundMe. We're going to influencers, we're going to help get more funding for the human trial, for the organ rehabilitation human trial. We support I research the young scientists.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Please give us information. I will put it everything.

[Alec Batiste]

I will, I will definitely, yes. And we support I research young scientists who just don't have the funds because, you know, science education isn't funded anymore.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

And so education is expensive.

[Alec Batiste]

Education, education isn't funded anymore.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

So and then young artists at young Arts, you know, supporting them so they can become artists and you know, bring other forms of beauty to the world that the world needs in order to find meaning in life.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

So that's our third. We call it whole beauty. It's just trying to expand and get the fiber of the beauty, you know, out there. So those are the three things. So like the peptides, my sort of performance optimized formulation and then the concept of expanding the meaning of beauty and trying to make it so that unlike myself who grew up feeling the only thing that mattered was who told me I look younger, who told me I look younger for my age, that everything, everything was tied to me for that.

[Lara Schmoisman]

Right.

[Alec Batiste]

Finding love was tied to that. And now I want to make sure that other young people don't fall into that trap of thinking everything is about this.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Yeah. That's beautiful, Alec. So before we go, I have one more question for you.

[Alec Batiste]

Okay. Yes.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

How do you drink your coffee?

[Alec Batiste]

Oh, first of all, with a straw.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay. That's when you never had that one.

[Alec Batiste]

Because I don't want to get my teeth because I pay too much to get them whitened.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay.

[Alec Batiste]

And then. And then in the afternoon, is iced.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Okay.

[Alec Batiste]

Cinnamon in it. And then in the morning, it's hot, so I can just sort of wake up.

[Host (likely Lara Schmoisman)]

Very nice. Okay. So cheers with coffee. Thank you so much for being here and for being so open about your story and your brand and encouraging people to go around your patent. And to you guys. I will see you next week with more coffee. Number five. Find everything you need at larashmoisman.com or in the episode notes right below. Don't forget to subscribe. Was so good to have you here today. See you next time. Catch you on the flip side. Ciao, ciao.