Downtime with Alec Batis

Written by FREYA DROHAN

For the beauty industry veteran Alec Batis, whose latest project is the biotech-backed skin care line Sweet Chemistry, finding balance outside the office is an ongoing project—not that he’s complaining. “My work is my lifelong dream. I just love it,” says the cofounder and CEO. Like a true professional, he inks in appointments with coworkers and friends. “You can’t have full satisfaction in life without connection with others,” says Batis—a restorative effect that is analogous, you could say, to the tissue-regenerative science in the formulas that recently landed on THE SHELVES. When a window emerges to truly escape, here’s what Batis has on the agenda.

IS YOUR PHONE EVER ON DO NOT DISTURB?
Only at night when I’m in bed. If I don’t sleep well, there won’t be any positive chemistry to be had.

HOW DO YOU UNTETHER YOURSELF FROM WORK?
Connection brings so much meaning to my life, so I consciously schedule time to ensure I check in with people. It’s one of the reasons I called our brand Sweet Chemistry: Chemistry isn’t just about the science that drives our products. It’s about the energy between people that makes life worth living.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO ESCAPE INTO NATURE?
The beach of Parrot Cay on Turks and Caicos at night. All you see are stars, and all you hear is the ocean.

WHAT SELF-CARE INDULGENCE DO YOU MAKE TIME FOR?
From my days as a chemist for the L’Oréal Group to my years leading marketing for NARS, people have asked what my top beauty tip is. Believe it or not, it’s flossing. I’ve prioritized keeping my gums healthy with minimal recession. Gum disease and tissue loss accelerate visible aging, while strong, healthy oral tissue helps maintain facial support. I’ve noticed that, at nearly 57 years old, it’s kept me looking youthful.

YOU HAVE A POCKET OF TIME FOR A CULTURE FIX: WHAT ARE YOU CATCHING UP ON?
We support an organization called Youngarts with 1% of our sales. Many incredible creatives in dance, music, design, film, photography, theater, visual arts, and writing are alumni of this program. I make sure to attend whenever they invite me to shows so I can grow and learn.

WHAT IS YOUR BINGE-WATCHING GUILTY PLEASURE?
The Great British Baking Show. Baking is a perfect combination of chemistry and creativity—like formulating skin care. It’s exacting, to create something delicious from various individual ingredients that only work if they come together perfectly and with skill. I love the chemistry between the bakers. They genuinely root for each other even though it’s a competition. It’s beautiful to watch, especially these days.

WHAT BEDTIME RITUALS HELP YOU WIND DOWN?
A strong face-percussion massage with a massager meant for the back, together with an Oil-Serum soak. Our Matrikynes®️ peptides repair damage and leave my skin plump with lipids and functional levels of actives—and the massage helps everything sink in beautifully.

WHAT IN-OFFICE TREATMENTS ARE WORTH A FEW DAYS OF DOWNTIME, IN YOUR OPINION?
Microneedling. Right after the procedure, I apply that same Oil-Serum to help rebuild and repair my skin. I only microneedle a couple times a year because I don’t like to over damage my skin barrier. And before I turn 60, I plan to have a strategic mini facelift to slightly reposition tissue to where I prefer it to be.