Our Story – Sweet Chemistry, Inc.

Where Cosmetic Science Meets Regenerative Medicine

Learn more about our origins and meet the founders behind the formulas that will transform your skincare routine:

Sweet Chemistry® was founded in collaboration with Xylyx Bio, a biomedical technology company focused on tissue engineering and organ rehabilitation. Together with Xylyx as our R&D liaison and parent company, we are passionate about creating highly effective products powered by research that saves lives.

By infusing our novel skincare formulas with Xylyx Bio's patent-pending regenerative technology that has been decades in the making, we create clinically-proven skincare that enhances your routine by delivering proven results.

A Cosmetic Chemist and a Biomedical Engineer Walk into a Lab

Innovation born from decades of research in tissue regeneration and cosmetic science

Dr. John O’Neill, CSO & Co-Founder

Biomedical Engineer & Organ Regeneration Pioneer

Dr. O’Neill, originally of Columbia University’s Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, is an expert in the field of regenerative medicine with notable success for his pioneering work in organ repair for transplant and the invention of peptide biomaterials from natural extracellular matrix that support tissue regeneration.

This technology, Matrikynes®, has been used in clinical applications to heal damaged organs and is now verified by independent clinical testing to offer remarkable benefits in skin tissue renewal.

Alec Batis, Co-CEO & Co-Founder

Industry Innovator & Former Corporate Chemist

Alec Batis is an accomplished chemist and marketer who has spent the past 35 years working with companies such as Pfizer, Shiseido, NARS, Victoria’s Secret Beauty & L’Oréal Group/Redken/Kiehl’s. He currently serves on the Global Cosmetic Industry Advisory Board.

He has a vision for skin health and is now sharing his first-of-their-kind formulas that he’s used for over 35 years. Ones that optimize activity by rethinking emulsion processes, utilizing functional levels of actives instead of marketing levels, reducing microbiome-damaging pesticides, and innovating packaging and preservation techniques.

Our mission

We Believe in the Beauty of Substance

While we can appreciate the allure of physical attractiveness, beauty is multifaceted and lies in the experiences we create and in the actions we take to have a life of meaning.

Beauty brands have a significant influence on societal norms and have a responsibility to promote the full spectrum of what it means to be beautiful. Through our research-driven innovations, formulation integrity, social impact work, and our growing community, we would love if you would join us on a mission to infuse a little more substance into the idea of beauty.

Our name

Why We Call Our Chemistry, Sweet...

Sweet Chemistry® is a tribute to our passion and respect for science because science has the power to heal and bring people together.

Our name embodies our philosophy: science as warm and life-affirming, not cold or intimidating. It's about seeking knowledge in a universe of the unknown. It's hard but necessary, frequently failing but never giving up. And every success is sweet.

The word "chemistry" also refers to the connection between people which is in itself a thing of beauty. And similarly to science, we know that the transformative arts also have the power to uplift and unite.

We celebrate the artists and scientists whose work makes the world a more beautiful place to be, and support organizations like YoungArts and iResearch who encourage our youth to find the beauty in themselves that exists far beyond their physical appearance.

Our Approach to Aging

From jump scare aging filters, to 10-year-olds using retinoids to “prevent wrinkles”, it seems as if everyone is scared of aging these days.

To us, aging is simply a biological process and our products are meant to slow it down to help you feel in control of how you age. With our roots in tissue engineering and cosmetic chemistry, we constantly strive to understand and explore aging holistically and our venture into the world of extracellular matrix is just the beginning.

Empowering Next Gen Innovators

We are passionate advocates of The Sciences and of The Transformative Arts and believe that they have the power to bring healing and comfort that goes beyond skin-deep.

This is why we donate 1% of our sales to programs that foster young scientists and artists so they can create a future where everyone feels empowered and comfortable in their own skin.

Our Commitments

We Were Told Not to be “Too Transparent” …

...but We’d Rather Stay Committed to Our Pledges.

Acknowledging The Past So That They Are Never Forgotten

Considering the beauty industry’s history, no product on the market can be truly “cruelty-free”. This is because most ingredients used in today’s formulas were once tested on animals, and no brand should hide that fact behind "cruelty-free" claims. Although we are Leaping Bunny -certified - which means we don't test our final products and their ingredients on animals - we believe in acknowledging our industry's past that is often left out: In the mid-20th century, animal testing was common practice. To check for toxic effects of cosmetics, ingredients were tested in painful, often lethal ways and even force-fed to animals. These tests ensured that the products we use today are safe, but they came at a great cost to countless animals.

Fortunately, the cosmetic industry is allowed to utilize this historical data rather than have to repeat those tests with the exception of China still requiring animal testing for imported products such as sunscreens, and hair dyes. We do not want to ignore this past but rather honor and ask forgiveness from the animals who suffered in the name of public safety. And as a commitment to them and to you, our parent company Xylyx Bio is developing novel cell-based assays that have the potential to replace animal tests in the field of regenerative medicine while improving predictiveness and decision-making in drug development. In this way we go beyond "cruelty-free" claims in striving to effect actual change.

Let’s Talk Product Prices

We understand that our products can seem high at first. Once we gain enough traction through higher production quantities, we are hoping to lower them by continuing to follow a dynamic pricing model. This way, we aim to become accessible to more people.

How We Price Our Products

Instead of using market-driven retail prices, we simply add our operating margin on top of our cost of goods to come up with each product’s retail price.

The Reason Behind Our Prices

So how come our products are more expensive than the average serum and moisturizer on the market? Allow us to explain with the help of our brand values:

Formulation Integrity

All of the dermatological and certified-organic botanical actives in our products are formulated at functional levels to optimize their efficacy. This means you are getting more dermatological and botanical actives, including our proprietary polypeptides which are developed and produced in our 2,200 sq ft NIH-funded research lab and ISO 9001-compliant production facility located within the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Apart from that, organically-farmed ingredients are 40% more expensive than conventionally-grown botanicals. And while our products have a significantly higher cost of goods, we believe the results you will see in your skin are worth it.

We Do Not Chase Ingredient Trends

Before adding ingredients to our formulas, we carefully consider their social, ethical & environmental impact.

Botanicals From Organic Farms

We source all botanical actives from certified-organic farms to ensure low-residue, high-integrity inputs that do not disrupt the skin microbiome.

Sustainability Through Upcycling

Our Matrikynes® Regenerative Matrix-Derived Polypeptides are derived from ethically sourced, upcycled bovine bones from the food industry that would otherwise go to waste.

Conservation Through Regenerative Agriculture

We source as many of our ingredients as possible from farms that practice systems-based, holistic regenerative agriculture. This way, we are able to foster cultivation that is in harmony with nature.

Glass That is Lighter Than Plastic?

Despite being ultra-light, our bottle is made of carefully crafted low-weight Italian glass. It uses an average of 87% less plastic by mass than plastic airless packaging and is free of leachables like BPA and PFAS.

All ingredients inside our airless glass pump bottle are protected from oxidation and minimally exposed to air thanks to a narrow stem and small plastic overcap that make sure all actives remain stable across uses.

Our bottle’s low weight helps us manage carbon emissions and the cartons we use to ship are made from post-consumer materials. Compared to virgin raw materials, this helps us save energy and ultimately conserve resources for everyone.

Our Social Responsibility Efforts

Empowering young thinkers & creators

Contributing to the Sciences and the Transformative Arts brings healing, meaning, and beauty to our lives, yet science and art education remains significantly underfunded for many youth.

That is why we donate 1% of our sales to programs that nurture young scientists and artists striving to create a more beautiful world.

We are also passionate about supporting our parent company's dedication to discovering novel ways to repair and regenerate damaged human organs for transplantation.