ABOUT CEDA
Ceda is the name of my maternal great-grandmother, grandmother, and aunt—all beautiful, intelligent women. My great-grandmother, Ceda Deborah Hedin, immigrated to the US from Hudiksvall, Sweden, in 1898. The name Ceda is not Swedish, but a shortened version of “Reseda,” a fragrant flowering plant (Reseda odorata, also known as mignionette, which means “little darling” in French) that was popular in Victorian-era perfumes, flower arrangements, gardens, window boxes, and potpourri. The plant was also used as a sedative and to treat bruises in Roman times. People once believed it had magical powers and could ward off airborne diseases.
Mama Cedas: My great-grandmother Ceda Deborah with babies Ceda Jeanette (my grandmother, left) and Ruthie, c. 1915.
Ceda Jeanette with baby Ceda Jeanette (my aunt) and my grandfather Wes, 1938. Wes called my grandmother his "sweater girl."
My Aunt Ceda with her firstborn, Monsieur Greg, 1961.
ABOUT ME | Sarah (Sally) Walker
For the past 20 years, I have worked as a freelance editor and writer for various magazines and publishing houses. I also love to cook, garden, decorate, thrift, refinish furniture, and make cool stuff—clothes, jewelry, ceramics, things I can create with my hands.
My mom Jane, a massage therapist, taught me how to mix my own body oils. These oils were simple and so good: she used olive or grapeseed as carrier oils, scented by her small cache of essential oils (black pepper, sweet orange, lavender, and geranium were my early favorites). Although I used these oils for years, I never dared to put them on my face. I struggled with acne into my 30s, so using oil on my face seemed counterintuitive. (Read how face oil can actually help with oily & acne-prone skin.)
Finally, in my 40s, my acne cleared up and I switched to face oil, which my skin loved. I began mixing my own, using coconut oil as a carrier, until I learned that it has a high comedogenic rating (4). So I experimented with carriers that weren’t as clogging, sampling various mixes until landing on these four: grapeseed, apricot seed, rosehip seed, and jojoba.
For fragrance, I played around with different essential oils, coming up with delicious-smelling concoctions that made me happy. Sometimes I looked up the notes of my favorite perfumes and adapted from there. I asked my friends what they liked, and began giving these oils as gifts. The ones here are my favorites.
Applying these oils to my face morning & night is a treat that I look forward to—not only because of how they smell but because of how they make my skin feel and look: happy and healthy. I hope you’ll feel the same way!