Her beauty secret: A potent acne- and inflammation-fighting salve made of nopal, aloe vera, jojoba, and oranges.
Using plants as medicine is nothing new. Many cultures all over the globe have used them for centuries in healing work, but according to Prados Beauty founder Cece Meadows, they can also act as powerful soothing agents for the skin.
“As a young girl visiting my grandparents in our colonia in Sonora, Mexico, there were a lot of plants that were used as medicine and skincare,” she shares. She even touts one universally loved skincare ingredient as helping to heal her skin inflammation and breakouts. “I had a bit of acne one summer, so my grandmother would take nopal and aloe vera plants that grew on our land to make a skincare salve for me. The salve contained raw nopal and aloe salve with a mixture of jojoba and oranges. The aloe and nopal salve that the plant naturally excretes was for the acne but also to heal the skin that I had been picking at that summer. The jojoba was for the inflammation that I was experiencing, as it is a natural vitamin E and B complex to heal skin. The oranges were for vitamin C to keep my skin looking healthy by brightening it, helping to heal scars, and reducing dark spots from picking at my acne.”
Using her environment as her healer inspired Meadows in many ways, but especially when it came to creating her makeup brand, Prados Beauty. Jojoba is a shrub that grows in dry regions like Mexico and offers so many healing benefits. Many already use it as a skincare oil, but Meadows had another use for it in mind. “I have a makeup remover currently that contains jojoba oil. When removing makeup, you want to nourish the skin as you wipe away gunk and cosmetics off your face. I believe if you can use it during and after the makeup-removing process, the skin will become nourished, making it easier to bounce back from a long day of wearing makeup,” she says.
Her culture inspires every aspect of her brand, from ethics, sustainability, and formulations to storytelling, affordability, accessibility, and philanthropy. “I always want to be a representative of my people and where I come from, so creating a brand that pays homage to that requires a lot of respect and care. It starts from who I work with on designing packaging, sourcing high-quality ingredients that are safe and aren’t putting lives at risk to acquire them, [and] making them affordable and accessible. Then taking the money that I make from selling my products and sowing it back into my people and our communities. I often tell people that this is more than just a beauty brand; it’s a brand for all people who wish to buy beautiful high-quality products and do more with their money by helping me give it back to those who are in need,” Meadows says.
Shawna Hudson
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