Heating oils and wax is dangerous. You can burn yourself, start a fire, and it can ruin your pots and pans if done badly. I would NOT recommend using aluminum, cast iron, or non stick coated surfaces - I like glass or stainless steel best. My two preferred ways are in a crock pot, or by using a double boiler method. My "double boiler" is usually a glass mason jar in a water bath, heated on the stove.
Using lye is dangerous. It's a very caustic chemical. It can ruin pots and pans, melt plastics, give you chemical burns, cause you to go blind, and discolor fabrics. Use precautions, please! Wear protection gear - gloves, eye protection, aprons and/or old clothes. When measuring or mixing lye I like to use glass containers and wooden spoons. Also keep close at hand vinegar and a rag - vinegar can help stop the chemical reaction of lye if you get it on your skin. Lye and water (or liquids) when mixed have a chemical reaction that causes a LOT of heat @ 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Always pour the lye into the water, NEVER the water into lye - which can cause an explosion. Even if you do it the proper way (lye into liquid) you can have an extremely fast heat up, causing a volcano effect, that boils over and pours all over the place. Generally it's sugars that cause that - sugars from milks or honey. A couple ways to avoid this is by either using your milk as a frozen item (ei. goat milk or coconut milk frozen in a plastic bag or ice cube trays), or pour these thing in just before your soap gets to light trace.
Making fermented foods can be risky. Then there is the issue that fermented food has lactobacillus acidophilus, the same live bacteria you'd find in yogurt, but some people's digestive systems that aren't used to this can have a reaction - cramping and/or diarrhea is possible. It's not a permanent issue though, and actually if you did have this sort of reaction, it's only your body telling you how badly you need this to get your digestive tract in good working order. Think of it like drain cleaner - if you pour drain cleaner in a clean drain you won't see anything unusual happen or come out, but if poured into a clogged drain it'll sit there for a little bit breaking things up (bloop, glub, gurgle, rawr), and in the end come out in a slimy stinky mess (ewwww - did I have to be so visual?).
So please please take what you read in my pages and compare it to other things you learn or know. I can only tell you what I've tried, and what results I had. My way is certainly not the only way, probably not the best way, easiest way, or least expensive way. You may have completely different results. Even in areas where I might say "this is safe to eat, do, or put on your skin" - realize that I don't know what allergies or sensitivities you might have. So take your own personal precautions.
Lastly, my disclaimer here is by no means written to discourage anyone. I have tons of fun making these things! I love doing crafts, and cooking..... doing things as I've been learning is also personally satisfying because I know what was used in the process, and I know what I'm putting on my skin or in my body. So try it! Have fun but be safe.
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