7 Secrets of Beauty and Wellbeing: Dr Stefanie Williams, dermatologist and medical director of EUDELO Dermatology & Skin Wellbeing
We go back a long way with aesthetic dermatologist Dr. Stefanie Williams – nearly a decade ago she collaborated with Sarah on features for YOU magazine (where Sarah was Health Editor) including one on whether collagen supplements worked to help rejuvenate skin. (Answer: yes, some may help.) Fast forward to today and Dr Williams leads the multi award-winning EUDELO Clinic, which offers both medical and aesthetic dermatology.
Now in her fifties, Dr. Williams, a qualified medical doctor as well as dermatologist and cosmetic scientist, together with her team offer ‘The EUDELO Method’: a range of prescription and non-prescription products, lifestyle advice and advanced in-clinic treatments.
She’s passionate about giving people the chance to have their best skin possible: greatly impelled by her own skin problems, which you can read about below. Her mantra is ‘Changing skin, changing lives’ – something we know to be true from the many Beauty Bible readers who tell us that achieving good skin can be truly transformative.
As well as co-authoring many scientific articles, Dr Williams has written two bestselling books: a tweakment reference guide ‘Look Great, Not Done: The art & science of ageing well’ and ‘Future Proof Your Skin: Slow down your biological clock by changing the way you eat’. And recently, because of her own skin problems, which she explains below, she launched her own skincare range Delo Rx..
And, golly gosh, as if that isn’t enough, Stefanie Williams is also an artist; we’re following her conceptual work on Instagram @StefWillArt. It’s fascinating. So… how on earth does she do it?!
My biggest beauty problem is my own problem skin so I developed products to treat it. I’m in my 50s, so naturally I am looking for skincare products that prevent and treat skin ageing. However, I also suffer with an overlap of rosacea and adult acne, so always had to be very careful with what I use, as most things would trigger breakouts. Because that was such a problem, not only for me, but also a large proportion of other women, I set out to develop my own skincare range, specially created for problem skin such as mine. After years of research and development, Delo Rx was born in 2019 - an advanced anti-ageing skincare range that does not trigger breakouts.
I recently read that some scientists believe that wrinkles may actually contribute to the premature ageing of other organs. That’s intriguing because historically, wrinkles have been regarded as just a cosmetic problem. However, this new school of thought suggests that ageing skin may be driving ageing in our entire body - even the brain - via ‘zombie-like’, senescent skin cells which release a pro-inflammatory chemical cocktail, including proteins such as ‘Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype’ (SASP). So that’s even more reason to care for your skin – after all, it is the biggest organ in our body.
I’m also a big advocate of regenerative in-clinic treatments. In my professional opinion, Exo- or PRP-Needling, dermatology-grade facials and regenerative laser treatments are hugely underrated because most people tend to go for quick-fix corrective treatments such as fillers and ‘Botox’. But that means ignoring the need to support skin regeneration on a cellular level. Don’t get me wrong: corrective treatments certainly play an important role in aesthetic dermatology. However, unless they are combined with regular regenerative treatments, you are not looking after your skin the best way possible. [Dr Williams has a long list of treatments she employs for herself, which we have run at the bottom of this piece.]
I like to go barefoot. I am a big fan of ‘grounding’ or ‘earthing’ for wellbeing. and practice this every day; in fact, I am grounded right now, as I write. Grounding is when your body is in direct contact with the earth’s electron field, either via bare feet on the ground or specialist indoor grounding tools such as grounded bed sheets that connect to the earth via the earthing pin, which is the top one in UK sockets.
The theory behind grounding is that numerous chronic diseases, as well as premature ageing itself, are connected to free radical damage with oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. The good news is that the earth surface naturally contains a huge surplus of free radical fighting electrons; when your naked skin is in contact with the ground these electrons can travel into our body quicker than the speed of light, helping to lower oxidative stress and reduce inflammation in the body. Sleeping grounded via an earthed bedsheet (Rowlands organic cotton bedsheet is grounded with silver threads) has made a big difference to my own wellbeing. I buy most of my grounding products here, as their products are really high quality.
But don’t take my word for it, try it yourself – going barefoot on the ground doesn’t cost you anything.
I believe in listening with an open heart and mind. I rate being open-minded and listening to other opinions, even if they don’t align with your own. I am concerned about cancel culture and increasing censorship in Western democracies. We have seen a lot of this a lot over the past three years, where anything that did not align with the mainstream narrative was labelled as ‘misinformation’ and suppressed via search engine moderation or plain censorship. I feel that we must learn to really listen again and debate opposing views rather than ostracising people with other opinions.
Supplements are important for my body and brain. Vitamin D is vital and a good starting dose is 1,000-4,000IU daily (more than you would get in a typical multivitamin). I advise people to check they remain in the safe range via a simple blood test; you can order home tests online, which work with a finger-pick blood drop.
I also currently take Evercol by Evernutri, which is a mix of high-dose (15g) bovine collagen type I, II and III, plus elastin. I also take probiotics, vitamin B complex, fish-oil and Evernutri Nootropics (the latter to prevent menopause-related cognitive issues and maintain mental agility).
My hero product from my own range is the Delo Rx Active Hydrator. This is so much more than just a moisturiser. It contains concentrated active ingredients to rejuvenate the skin on a cellular level, while tackling breakouts and congestion at the same time. The Active Hydrator features 28.6% DecatriaComplex, a proprietary synergistic blend with 13 ingredients to combat ageing, redness and breakouts, plus calming and hydrating, with clinically proven minimal irritancy.
Delo Rx also re-invented the carrier formulation, as it is formulated in a lightweight base that is free from oils and silicones, as these contribute to clogged pores and breakouts.
Nothing makes me happier than thinking about and making art. As well as my medical degree, I have a Master’s degree in Fine Art. Nowadays I spend half of my week being a conceptual artist (you can see my work on Instagram at @StefWillArt). I am interested in investigating the unseen with my art. It’s the first thing I think about when waking up and the last thing I think about before going to sleep.
PS Dr Williams’ own favourite skin treatments:
“I try to have monthly dermatology-grade facials at Eudelo. They include various steps such as extractions of comedones, advanced wet-microdermabrasion, a peel and superficial needling with infusion of a mesotherapy solution. These facials not only give my skin a wonderful refresh with a healthy glow but also help keep my breakouts at bay. These regenerative facials are more than just a relaxing facial, they slow down the skin ageing process on a cellular level and should ideally be done in monthly intervals. It’s like joining the ‘skin gym’ – you have to do them regularly for best effects.
I have a stronger regenerative treatment about three times per year. That may be a course of Exo Needling, a carboxy facial or a regenerative laser, although I should go up with that, now that I am in my 50s (if only there was more time in the day…).
Every couple of years, I have The Eudelo Soundlift, a treatment that uses Ultherapy technology to non-invasively tighten and lift the skin with focused ultrasound waves. It’s great for the lower face, but can also be used to lift the eyebrows.”
