Seeking Perfection
Safety safety safety, I cannot stress it enough, you want to be safe so you can live to solder your next project. Always, always do things the safe way rather than the rapid but careless way. Common sense is very important when it comes to soldering, because this guide won't be covering all the dangers you may encounter, be it obvious ones or hidden killers.
Always use protective gears, whether it's for yourself or for the circuit you're working on. Protect your eyes from smoking rosin fumes, possible explosives, make it a habit and one day it'll save your eyes, even your life. Protect exposed circuitry so nothing shorts out and blow stuff up. Learn your tool, understand your tool, then use your tool.
Use an iron stand, NEVER leave hot soldering iron unattended, and NEVER leave it on a surface besides the iron stand, by not doing so, you risk burning your work surface, and if the iron touches some flammables, accident will happen.
First Aid
Got burned? Rinse the wound immediately under cold, running tap water for at least 5 minutes, 15 minutes is recommended. Use an ice pack if you have one. If there is chemical substance on your hand, USE MILD SOAP.
Forget about Vaseline or any gel, unless they're designed for soldering iron wounds, but I've never seen one yet. It is vital for your wound to be dry and cool, gel will only make it worse. How about pads for burning wounds? They're designed for low level burns (such as boiling water burns), it may help getting rid of the pain, but not really helping on healing soldering iron wounds.
Band aids may be used to cover the wound, but it is still recommended to leave the wound exposed to air. If the wound is bigger than your finger tip, time to seek medical attention.
Again, you want to be safe than to rush things, and use common sense.