Equipment you will need, most of which you probably have already:
Stainless steel double boiler – if you do not have a double boiler, you can use a smaller pan inside a lager one with two table knives or something like that so that the smaller pan does not actually touch the bottom of the bigger pan. The idea of a double boiler is that the bottom pan is full of hot water; it keeps the ingredients from getting too hot and burning. If you want to make a very small batch of something like lip balm you can even use a stainless steel measuring cup to melt your ingredients.

Or a crock-pot
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups, those little dosage cups on cough syrup are good for measuring too
Containers: amber bottles (with orifice reducer and lid or with an eyedropper lid),jars,
tins, small Ziploc disposable containers are good for body butters.
Stainless steel spoons
Paper towel
Old newspaper
Stainless steel or glass mixing bowl
Grater
Mixing bowl
Eyedroppers
Bamboo shish kabob skewer – used to clean funnels and eyedroppers
Cotton balls – twist a bit of cotton around the tip of the skewer for cleaning