Having fallen into bed with Cane, The Young and the Restless’ Phyllis will certainly do her best to blow up Danny and Christine’s nuptials, which begins this Friday—and Michelle Stafford tells Woman’s World she’s game for whatever soapy drama or dirty games her character has in store. What the three-time Daytime Emmy-winner and Skin Nation founder is not game for? Dirty beauty products!
Here, Stafford reflects on winning a Daytime Beauty Award for her organic, plant-based skincare line, Skin Nation, and how her fierce and fabulous breast-cancer-surviving sister has been her muse on this journey.
Plus, Stafford talks Thanksgiving turkey, what she looks for in The Young and the Restless scripts, and the one type of drama she doesn’t enjoy playing.
‘Y&R’ star Michelle Stafford and Skin Nation win beauty award
Courtesy of daytimebeautyawards.com
When we catch Michelle Stafford sneaking past the Daytime Emmy red carpet, we have to stop her—and not just to ask about Phyllis’ latest The Young and the Restless antics!
We’re interested in the recent Daytime Beauty Awards (DBAs) in September, which saw Stafford honored alongside Revlon, Meagan Good and Jonathan Majors, Holly Robinson Peete, Ann-Margret and more by presenters that included Melissa McCarthy, Denise Richards and Jennie Garth.
“I received an award for achievement in skincare,” says the beauty CEO. “I’ll always plug my company, Skin Nation… but I don’t ever imagine being acknowledged in any way, so it was really nice!”
Stafford’s award-winning Skin Nation is ‘plant-based natural skin care’
Unlike traditional beauty awards, the DBAs recognize the science behind beauty, health and wellness. The show shines a light on professionals across medicine, aesthetics, skincare, fitness, CBD & cannabis, styling, beauty innovation and more—bridging the gap between glamour and groundbreaking science.
Stafford was honored for her line, which includes Scrubalicious Exfoliator, The Best Toner Ever, Super C Serum, Renew Face Cream, Rejuvenating Eye Gel, Refresh Face Wash, and more.
“It’s plant-based natural skin care,” she says of Skin Nation, which is also cruelty-free and organic. “The actives that we have that aren’t chemicals actually work better than the chemical actives filled with carcinogens that are in a lot of skincare.”
Stafford honors her sister for ‘making cancer her b****’ and inspiring Skin Nation
Stafford has always been a beauty, but it was a stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis that turned her into an entrepreneur in the beauty space.
“My sister had cancer, and there were so many toxins and carcinogens in skincare,” she says. “So I wanted to create something that was devoid of that.”
Almost 10 years ago, Stafford dove into the research and worked with experts to craft her growing line, but upon receiving the DBA for her work with Skin Nation, she was quick to honor her muse.
“I just want to acknowledge my sister for being my inspiration,” an emotional Stafford concluded during the ceremony. “And for being such a badass warrior and making cancer her bitch—like every other survivor that you probably know or that you will know!”
The 2025 Daytime Beauty Awards list
For our beauty lovers out there, the gamechangers and brands honored at the 2025 DBAs include:
- Brand of the Year: Revlon
- Outstanding Achievement in Fitness: Meagan Good + Jonathan Majors for Honor Culture
- Outstanding Achievement in Skincare: Michelle Stafford for Skin Nation
- Outstanding Achievement in Health: Holly Robinson Peete
- Outstanding Achievement in Medicine: Dr. Carl Truesdale
- Outstanding Achievement in Aesthetics: Dr. Jessica Wu
- Outstanding Achievement in Color & Styling: Robert Ramos
- Outstanding Achievement in Nail Artistry: Tom Bachik
- The Inventor’s Award: TheraFace Mask by Therabody
- The Sleeping Beauty Award: Sleep by PAX
Stafford talks Thanksgiving and having ‘a whole grown human’ for a daughter
Stafford’s date on the Daytime Emmy red carpet is another important woman in her life—her daughter Natalia, who is somehow about to turn 16 and even made it onto a best dressed list for her look.
“It’s crazy to have a whole grown human,” marvels the actress, who also has a son, Jameson, 10 and reveals she’s ready to get her feast on with them next week.
“At Thanksgiving, I look forward to cooking,” she explains. “I like that! I used to hate this holiday because I just saw it as a gluttonous holiday, and now I love it. It’s my favorite.”
Stafford cares less about ‘Y&R’ story than getting to ‘work with cool people’
While Stafford isn’t doing a lot of interviews at the Daytime Emmys, the actress who’s also been on General Hospital and the short-lived Tribes and Pacific Palisades admits attending daytime TV’s big night never gets old—especially when she’s a nominee!
“It’s so great,” she cheers. “It’s such an honor.”
With her first Emmy win for Supporting Actress back in 1997 and her second Lead Actress win just last year, Stafford has earned quite a reputation for playing powerhouse Phyllis Summers—and one might argue, her character’s antics give her plenty to work with over the decades!
When asked for her favorite turns as Phyllis, however, Stafford balks.
“I just go in and I do what they tell me,” she insists. “I don’t have any opinion on Phyllis.”
“I just get really excited when I’m working with cool people,” she continues. “That’s very important to me, coming in to just have a good time. And everybody here is fun to work with. So it’s awesome.”
Stafford is ‘not gonna lie’ about the one thing she doesn’t enjoy playing
With Phyllis a fighter, there is actually one type of story that can start to weigh on the actress.
“I’m not gonna lie,” Stafford says. “Carrying on and screaming at people is not my favorite thing to do, especially not if it goes on for a long time.”
That doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to see her character scheme, backstab, fall into bed with the wrong people, and yes, even lose big, every once in a while.
Since coming on the scene to steal Danny from Cricket back in 1994, Phyllis has done some truly wild things—not the least of which was drugging him to convince him he was Daniel’s daddy and trying to kill “The Bug.”
“Michelle thinks Phyllis is in the wrong… but Phyllis doesn’t,” Stafford chuckles of her character. “They’ve written dialogue for Phyllis where she admits to being ‘crazy,’ and that always bothers me. Because Phyllis doesn’t think she did the bad thing. She thinks she is completely solid in her decisions and what she did and does.”
How Stafford feels about Phyllis’s upcoming action on ‘Y&R’
Phyllis has seen her share of redemption arcs, but more often than not, this The Young and the Restless vixen is scheming over business or caught up in steamy love triangles—including the madness with Diane and Jack during what Peter Bergman told us was his favorite era of the show and the Nick and Sharon drama that caused friction until the women got kidnapped together earlier this year.
And now, Phyllis has fallen into bed with Cane… just as he and Lily seemed to be making ground… and right after double-crossing him! What could possibly go wrong?
Cricket and Danny, meanwhile, have finally come full circle, and decades after Phyllis broke them up, they are set to say “I do” again. With the wedding kicking off Friday, we have high hopes for some Phyllis mayhem.
Whatever’s to come for—or from!—Phyllis, the beauty who plays her, is enjoying the action on The Young and the Restless.
“It’s always fun,” Stafford tells Woman’s World. “We’re creating every day. What a great, great thing to be able to do!”
