Alexis Rochester is an investigative chemist, blogger, and writer. She founded the blog Chemistry Cachet in 2015 as a way to explain the simple science behind how things work. Everything from cleaning your home to using the best skincare products. At the age of 10, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, so she also has a passion for sharing pain management tips and helping people around the world who are struggling. In addition to writing for her website Chemistry Cachet, she also writes for many different skincare companies, home care companies, and contributes monthly articles to her local news outlets. She lives in Texas with her husband and two children.
Alexis Rochester, Investigative Chemist and Blogger
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
My name is Alexis. I am from Fort Worth, Texas and I live a little south of there now with my two kids and husband. I have a little girl who is five and a little boy who is one year old. My husband and I got married very young when he was in the Marine Corps, so we just celebrated our 16th anniversary. When I was just ten years old, I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis which really changed my life. Instead of focusing on sports like I wanted to and all my friends did, I started leaning more into my academic journey. I loved math and science most, and I continued to grow in my knowledge of these things through Junior High and High School. I also have a passion for exercise and healthy living. All of these things came together to start Chemistry Cachet.
Can you provide a brief overview of Chemistry Cachet and its core mission or purpose?
Chemistry Cachet is a website where I share all of my chemist tips through easy to understand ideas for readers. As an investigative chemist, my favorite genres to research and test are cleaning, skincare, gardening, and health. If I share a DIY Cleaner to use around your home, I also share details on the ingredients and science behind how it works. I debunk popular myths that circulate around the internet too. Readers come to Chemistry Cachet to get tried and true science-based tips that will keep their home safe, clean, and help them maintain the healthiest, youthful skin.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
I am known by dozens of large brand names as a “Chemistry Forward Cleaning Authority and Skincare Expert” Brands trust Chemistry Cachet more than mainstream bloggers because this website is based on researched and tested science based tips. Chemistry Cachet has been featured in many magazines like Southern Living, Farmers Almanac, Healthline and Women’s World.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
The social media craze is something I don’t like about my industry. I like researched science-based tips, but many times these trendy (and also very often incorrect) videos get millions of views just due to how it looks. Things like Instagram and TikTok have gained popularity and almost every time, there is wrong information on things for cleaning and skincare. I would make my industry focus more on websites, articles, and research for people to learn the truth about maintaining their home, health, and skin.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
I have two pivotal moments in my life. The first I mentioned, but I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age ten, and it changed my life forever. In many ways, it has helped me be who I am today. I focused on academics over sports, became a chemist, and have really connected to my audience through pain and health complications. The other pivotal moment was after graduating with my degree in Chemistry, I struggled finding a career path in my area. I tried several things, and I even went into teaching for a while. Out of frustration, I started my blog in 2015 as a way to write, research, and continue my expertise in chemistry. Almost nine years later, it has blossomed into a full-time job where I can do what I love.