Soapmaking Safety

We all cut corners. Let's face it, for most of us, modern life is rather hectic! Well, I cut a corner recently in a no-no area and here both to tell on myself so that I won't do it again and also to reinforce the importance of safety when working with caustics. You just can't make real soap without lye - and I'm not talking about the melt and pour method because I don't consider that true soaping - sorry. I recently missed a very important step and got lye burns up and down my arms and a lye splash in my eye. Luckily for me, the splash in the eye was protected by a contact lens, but nonethless it was a nearly avoided catastrophe! Goggles, long sleeves, and gloves are a must! Yes, it can get very hot and the extra layers can be bothersome, and after about 10 batches you may feel you've reached the point where you don't need protection because you are now an expert....but please please please do carefully consider the possible consequences and remember to exercise extreme caution when working with lye. Thank you.