Built to Thrive
Through their aptly named enterprise, WETHRIVV®, a Bucks County couple adds to a growing portfolio of in-demand aesthetics and dermatology brands designed to enhance people’s lives.
The partnership between Amy Batra and Sanjay Batra, Ph.D., began 20 years ago at a networking event. They later had their first formal date at a restaurant in Lambertville, New Jersey, promptly fell in love, and decided to build a life together.
In March 2020, the Batras began building something else: a fledgling enterprise that has since become a small empire of health-and-beauty brands focused on aesthetics and dermatology, all based largely out of their home and laboratory in Bucks County.
The company they co-founded, WETHRIVV, is the culmination of years of experience working in the aesthetics, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries, including some of the world’s largest and best-known companies. WETHRIVV has quickly accumulated “a humbling amount” of customers devoted to its portfolio of innovative, elegant, and all-natural products, each designed to fulfill a specific previously unmet need.
“Our driving goal has always been to have the best products—that is our ethos,” says Sanjay Batra, the company’s CEO. “This is a project of passion for us. We are not interested in having products that are like others on the market. We are only interested in creating best-in-class products that are truly game-changing.”
He cites the Maskad® Professional Post Procedure Mask, the first product in WETHRIVV’s portfolio, which is sold directly to clinicians who provide facial aesthetic services. Best described as a face-conforming mask infused with soothing topical ingredients, Maskad enables clinicians to help their patients feel more comfortable following facial aesthetics procedures such as laser skin resurfacing, microdermabrasion, and microneedling.
“Most clinicians who do these kinds of treatments think the patient is doing fine afterward, but that’s rarely the case,” says Amy Batra, WETHRIVV’s president, as well as the lead inventor on the Maskad patent. “More often than not, the patient goes home and their face feels like it’s on fire, and the icepack they receive afterward doesn’t cool or calm the skin. The patient thinks this is normal so they accept it, but it doesn’t have to be the norm. With Maskad, we wanted to help patients have a better experience and outcome.”
As a lifelong beauty enthusiast, Amy also saw the pent-up consumer demand for at-home treatments designed to deliver “gorgeous skin.” Her drive to meet that demand resulted in careful extensions of the Maskad brand, to include products such as Maskad Anti-Aging Serum, Maskad Hydrating Serum, the Maskad Hydrogel Infusion Face Mask, and the Maskad Dermal Roller.
Another success story involves Revivv®, a topical drug-free serum to promote hair growth, with separate lines for men and women. Sanjay’s interest in hair growth grew out of a personal experience from nearly a decade ago. He recalls working out at the gym, doing military presses, and catching a glimpse of himself in one of the mirrors. He did not quite like what he saw in his reflection: subtle signs of hair loss near the back of his head.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I wanted to do something about it,” Sanjay admits. “Amy and I believe in using the body’s own healing power, avoiding drugs or pharmaceuticals whenever possible. Earlier in my career I worked on PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, which involves injecting part of the blood back into the body to stimulate growth and healing. I developed Revivv as a drug-free solution delivered topically to the scalp to help support natural hair growth.
“The FDA has approved only two drugs for hair loss, and both have serious side effects,” he continues. “Revivv offers no claims of curing disease, but it is a natural way to support hair growth. We have seen tremendous results for people of all ages, from as young as 17 to people in their 80s. We recommend starting early for preventive maintenance, to help keep what you have; the longer you wait, the harder it is to recover.”
Sanjay and Amy have both used Revivv, with exceptional results—and they’re hardly the only ones. One of their collaborators, the dermatologist Jeffrey Rappaport, M.D., recently shared data from a patient who had used Revivv for a full year. The Batras are in the process of reviewing the data more closely, but Sanjay describes the patient’s situation as “remarkably improved.”
‘Anything Is Possible’
WETHRIVV is about much more than a means of delivering elegantly designed, scientifically researched products. For the Batras, WETHRIVV represents an opportunity to challenge each other, to make each other better, and to do fulfilling work with their “best friends”—namely, each other.
WETHRIVV is about much more than a means of delivering elegantly designed, scientifically researched products. For the Batras, WETHRIVV represents an opportunity to challenge each other, to make each other better, and to do fulfilling work with their “best friends”—namely, each other.
“We complement each other very well, and you need that in a successful marriage or a successful working relationship,” Amy says, adding that each of their four children has worked for WETHRIVV in some capacity. “Sanjay and I have different areas of expertise; I’m more involved in sales, marketing, and customer service, and Sanjay is the scientist. We may work in different parts of our house, but we get to spend our days together. Based on what we have accomplished so far as a team, we feel that anything is possible.”
Sanjay feels the same way, though he admits that building a company around brands rooted in aesthetics and dermatology took some getting used to.
“Amy worked in aesthetics before I did, and she has always been fascinated by it,” says Sanjay, whose prior pharmaceutical experience included the opportunity to work on drugs associated with cardiovascular medicine. “It took me six months to a year to start ‘getting’ it. I had been working on drugs that could save someone’s life, and all of a sudden I’m talking about people’s wrinkles. Then it started to hit me—aesthetics and hair-loss products affect how people feel about themselves, and that’s incredibly important.”
The Batras may have put the building blocks in place, but they credit WETHRIVV’s ascendance to the efforts of their small but talented team of employees and collaborators. Erica Gutierrez is among them. She started as an intern, and has since become WETHRIVV’s manager of sales and marketing. She cites the company’s unique culture of creativity, fun, and innovation, as well as a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude in which all team members work together toward a common goal.
“We’re doing this together,” Sanjay adds. “That’s why we created an internal award called ‘On Belay,’ which is a phrase from rock climbing. When someone is climbing a rock wall, they say ‘on belay’ to let their partner know they are ready to start climbing, so their partner can support them when needed. Our team members can nominate each other for the award. The point is to recognize that we’re not climbing this mountain alone. We’re going to get to the summit as a team.”
Going forward, the Batras intend to continue building WETHRIVV’s culture and supporting their brand portfolio with precision and purpose. They also intend to keep their roots planted firmly in Bucks County soil.
“Our driving goal is to have the best products and deliver the best service,” Sanjay says. “We’re going to continue focusing on the Maskad and Revivv brands, and extend them when it makes sense and if it fulfills an unmet need. Our goal has always been to make a difference, not just to make money.”
For more information about WETHRIVV, visit WETHRIVV.com. For more information about the company’s growing product line, visit www.maskad.co and www.revivv.co.
Photo by Jody Robinson
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, October 2022.
