"I've never heard of anyone using layering for this method but you must have been working in a pretty big scale to get that much heat from the chips." I was somewhat limited by the equipment I was using. Last summer I rented a Dingo to move mulch and make more mounds. While they are handy to move mulch, they are pretty slow digging, so I really didn't use near enough top soil (because it was slow to dig). However, I had built mounds the same way (layered mulch mounds) the summer before and gotten by with it with no problems. I constructed them by starting with a big mound of mulch (wood chips) on the bottom and then a couple alternating layers of soil and mulch after that. My thought was the layers of mulch would be thin enough they wouldn't compost, but I got the mulch too thick. Before I started using mulch mounds, I made mounds with just plain dirt and have never had any problems with 100% dirt. I agree I don't think mulch on the bottom with a generous amount of topsoil on top would have caused problems, as long as the roots were insulated from the mulch.

Nelson/bach and Aura Cacia both make essential oils that I LOVE...and I have noticed that natural scents are much less likely to freak out the sensitive (mints and the heavy florals like rose and jasmin seem to be exceptions- some people are specifically allergic to roses, and nothing else, it seems) Hove perfumier in New Orleans also makes wonderful blends and single-note fragrances that come both in cologne form and in a solid (beeswax and jojoba) that lasts FOREVER on my skin.

chartrbee2, on melting them to use as oils..... what would be the harm to try one? they melt with the heat of your hands so whats so diff about in a warmer. the only thing I see is leaving it melted (hot) for long periods of might diminish the smell ( being that when I make them the mix is removed from the heat before I add essential oils for smell because excessive heat makes the essential oil "break down" or evaporate in a sense).... I love the bars and use them daily. they are a GREAT seller for us as well. My Dad and I keep bees so I am fortunate to have as much beeswax as I could possibly EVER need. good luck with testing out the melting use, let me know i do have friends that also are massage therapists ( could be a new avenue for my bars!) LOL

I have! Here's the thing with perfume from flowers though. It takes pounds and pounds of flowers to create a small bottle of fragrance oil. But many less flowers to make a powerful fragranced oil. I highly suggest the enfleurage technique for something like this. Which involves infusing a solid fat to extract the scented oils from flowers. This technique is great for when you want to capture the scent of flowers that don't distill well, or who's fragrance oils are ruined by alcohol. And I feel rose fragrance is greatly altered by an alcohol base. It's especially nice for delicate flowers, or ones you know you don't have enough to make a solid batch of pure fragrance oil. I certainly don't have acres of roses lol. The basic technique is to lay flower petals flat into a tray of hard fat every day. Cover it with cling wrap. And replace the petals the next day with new ones. The fat will absorb the fragrance oils. Repeat until desired depth of fragrance is achieved. Then container it up. If you were continue this process you would then proceed to separate the fat from the fragrance oils. But this yields a low amount of fragrance oil, from highly fragrant fat. I suggest a hard fat over a soft fat for more delicate fragrances like roses, gardenias, jasmine, and so on. Soft fats like olive oil will lose the scent much more quickly. Traditionally lard was used. But my go to is coconut oil (refined). The reason being is that I can use the coconut oil as a scented body moisturiser, or whip it up into a scented body butter. Or you can make a lovely rose water. I use rose water as a facial toner and the scent usually sticks around 45 minutes or so. Good luck!