{"id":28,"date":"2026-03-16T18:52:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.7virides.com\/cs\/uvod\/prvni-recept\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T11:19:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T10:19:47","slug":"prvni-recept","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/mydlo\/prvni-recept\/","title":{"rendered":"Your first recipe: basic three-oil soap step by step"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<p><strong>TL;DR:<\/strong> Basic three-oil soap (coconut 30%, olive 40%, sunflower 30%) is the ideal first recipe. Yield ~870 g (8\u201310 bars), ingredient cost ~300 CZK, preparation time 1.5\u20132 hours. Curing 4\u20136 weeks.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This is the recipe most home soap makers start with. Three accessible oils, no colorant, no fragrance \u2014 just pure soap. The goal of the first attempt is not perfect soap, but learning the process: what trace looks like, how soap behaves in the mold, what happens during curing. Read first <a href=\"\/en\/soap\/lye-safety-soap-making\/\">Lye safety<\/a> \u2014 and then get started.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"prehled-receptu\">Recipe overview<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><strong>Yield<\/strong><\/th>\n<th>~870 g of finished soap (8\u201310 bars of 85\u2013110 g each)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Total oil weight<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>700 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Difficulty<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606\u2606 Very easy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Preparation time<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>~1.5\u20132 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Curing time<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>4\u20136 weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Shelf life<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>18\u201324 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"co-budete-potrebovat\">What will you need?<\/h2>\n<h3>What ingredients are needed?<\/h3>\n<p>For this recipe you will need three basic oils and sodium hydroxide. All are available at supermarkets or drugstores \u2014 nothing exotic.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Ingredients<\/th>\n<th>Amount<\/th>\n<th>Where to buy<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Coconut oil<\/td>\n<td>210 g (30%)<\/td>\n<td>DM, Rossmann, Tesco<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Olive oil<\/td>\n<td>280 g (40%)<\/td>\n<td>Supermarket, specialty store<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sunflower or rapeseed oil<\/td>\n<td>210 g (30%)<\/td>\n<td>Any supermarket<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>NaOH \u2014 sodium hydroxide (100%)<\/td>\n<td>97,9 g<\/td>\n<td>Pharmacy, drugstore as drain cleaner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Distilled or boiled water<\/td>\n<td>260 g<\/td>\n<td>Pharmacy or boil from tap<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Super fat:<\/strong> 5% (some oils remain unsaponified and condition the skin)<\/p>\n<p><strong>NaOH calculation for verification:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Coconut oil (SAP 0.178): 210 \u00d7 0.178 = 37.4 g<\/li>\n<li>Olive oil (SAP 0.134): 280 \u00d7 0.134 = 37.5 g<\/li>\n<li>Sunflower (SAP 0.134): 210 \u00d7 0.134 = 28.1 g<\/li>\n<li>Total for 0% SF: 103.0 g \u00d7 0.95 (5% SF) = <strong>97.9 g NaOH<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>(Slight differences in the last decimal place are normal \u2014 SAP values vary slightly by source.)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>What equipment will you need?<\/h3>\n<p>You probably already have the basic equipment for this recipe at home or can get it for a few dollars.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Tool<\/th>\n<th>Minimum<\/th>\n<th>Note<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Digital scale<\/td>\n<td>Precision 1 g<\/td>\n<td>Kitchen scale will suffice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Immersion stick blender<\/td>\n<td>Any type<\/td>\n<td>An old one works just the same<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lye container (700+ ml)<\/td>\n<td>Stainless steel or PP (number 5)<\/td>\n<td>NOT aluminum, NOT thin glass<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Oil container (1.5+ l)<\/td>\n<td>Stainless steel or PP<\/td>\n<td>A stainless steel bowl is ideal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Thermometer<\/td>\n<td>0\u2013100 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<td>Kitchen digital<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Soap mold<\/td>\n<td>Silicone or wooden with paper<\/td>\n<td>See below<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Safety goggles<\/td>\n<td>Sealed (chemical splash)<\/td>\n<td>Required \u2014 see safety<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Rubber gloves<\/td>\n<td>Household rubber gloves<\/td>\n<td>Not latex<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Spoon or spatula<\/td>\n<td>Silicone or stainless steel<\/td>\n<td>NOT aluminum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Which type of mold to choose?<\/h3>\n<p>For the first recipe, the following will suffice:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Milk carton<\/strong> (1 l) \u2014 line inside with baking paper, or leave directly (soap comes out easier if you moisten the paper)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Baking pan<\/strong> lined with silicone or paper (20 \u00d7 10 cm or similar) \u2014 classic choice<\/li>\n<li><strong>Silicone mold<\/strong> loaf type \u2014 most convenient, available at online shops and the easiest long-term<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"postup-krok-za-krokem\">Step-by-step procedure<\/h2>\n<h3>Preparation (20 minutes before making)<\/h3>\n<p>Prepare your workspace: all equipment on the table, nothing unnecessary in the way. Put on safety goggles and gloves <strong>before opening NaOH<\/strong> \u2014 not when you start pouring. Visual check: scale works and is zeroed, thermometer is available, mold is ready.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 1: Preparing the lye solution (15 minutes + waiting)<\/h3>\n<p>This is the most important and riskiest part \u2014 proceed carefully, but not nervously.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Place the lye container (stainless steel or PP) on the scale. Zero the scale. Weigh out <strong>260 g water<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>In a dry container weigh out <strong>97.9 g NaOH<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Turn toward ventilation (window open or range hood on) \u2014 you need to breathe clean air.<\/li>\n<li>Slowly pour NaOH into water while stirring continuously. <strong>Never the other way around<\/strong> \u2014 this is the key rule.<\/li>\n<li>The solution will heat to 70\u201390 \u00b0C, may appear cloudy. Normal. Stir until dissolved.<\/li>\n<li>Place in a safe location and let cool to <strong>35\u201340 \u00b0C<\/strong>. This takes 30\u201345 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Tip: Lye solution cooling can be sped up \u2014 place the lye container in a larger bowl filled with ice water.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 2: Preparing oils (10 minutes)<\/h3>\n<p>While the lye cools, prepare the oils \u2014 this is safe and simple.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Weigh out <strong>210 g coconut oil<\/strong> into a large bowl. If solid (winter), melt in a water bath or microwave in 30-second intervals.<\/li>\n<li>Add <strong>280 g olive oil<\/strong> a <strong>210 g sunflower oil<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Mix and let temper to <strong>35\u201340 \u00b0C<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Oils and lye solution should be at a similar temperature when mixing \u2014 a difference of up to 10 \u00b0C is fine. If they differ significantly, wait \u2014 correct temperature is key.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 3: Mixing and trace (10\u201320 minutes)<\/h3>\n<p>This is the moment when oils and lye meet \u2014 and your first soap begins to form.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Check temperatures of both components. If both are around 35\u201340 \u00b0C, proceed.<\/li>\n<li>The lye solution <strong>pour into the oils<\/strong> (not the other way around) while slowly stirring with a spoon.<\/li>\n<li>Turn on the stick blender. Mix in short pulses (5\u201310 seconds on, then pause). Alternate with hand stirring.<\/li>\n<li>Watch the consistency. You are looking for <strong>light trace<\/strong> \u2014 the mixture has the consistency of thin pudding, when you draw a spoon across the surface, the mark holds for 2\u20133 seconds.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>With this recipe, trace occurs in <strong>5\u201315 minutes<\/strong> with a stick blender \u2014 this will be your first success in soap making.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 4: Pouring into the mold<\/h3>\n<p>Now transfer your creation to the mold.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>At light trace, pour the mixture into the mold. Tap the mold on the table to release air bubbles.<\/li>\n<li>Cover the surface with plastic wrap placed directly on the soap (minimizes soda ash, that white powder).<\/li>\n<li>Wrap the mold in towels or a blanket \u2014 helps gel phase and temperature.<\/li>\n<li>Set aside in a quiet place for 24\u201348 hours. Do not open, do not touch \u2014 let the soap work.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Step 5: Unmolding and cutting (24\u201348 hours after pouring)<\/h3>\n<p>After waiting, it is time for the first look at your soap.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>After 24 hours, carefully uncover the mold and test the surface hardness with your finger. If it still sticks, wait another 24 hours.<\/li>\n<li>Remove the soap from the mold. Still wear gloves \u2014 the soap may not yet be fully saponified.<\/li>\n<li>Cut into bars (approx. 2.5\u20133 cm thick). A sharp kitchen knife or soap cutter (if available).<\/li>\n<li>Stand the bars on their side on a rack or board with good ventilation \u2014 the soap will cure here.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Step 6: Curing (4\u20136 weeks)<\/h3>\n<p>The final phase \u2014 and the most important for quality. The soap sits in a well-ventilated place out of direct sun. Turn it once every 2 weeks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What to watch during curing:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>White powder on the surface (soda ash):<\/strong> Normal, shave it off with a scraper before use \u2014 the soap remains functional<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hardening:<\/strong> The soap should be noticeably harder after 4 weeks than right after cutting \u2014 this is a sign that water is evaporating<\/li>\n<li><strong>Color:<\/strong> Cream or white \u2014 normal. Olive oil may give a slight yellowish tint \u2014 this is not a defect<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>pH test before use:<\/strong> Touch the tip of your tongue to the cured soap. If you feel nothing \u2014 the soap is done and safe. If it zings like a battery \u2014 wait another 1\u20132 weeks. This is the most reliable test of homemade soap maturity.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"co-se-muze-pokazit-a-jak-to-opravit\">What can go wrong (and how to fix it)<\/h2>\n<h3>Soap is still too soft after 48 hours<\/h3>\n<p>Normal for recipes with a higher proportion of olive oil. Wait 72 hours. If still soft, place the mold in the freezer for 1 hour \u2014 it helps the soap solidify.<\/p>\n<h3>There is white powder on the surface<\/h3>\n<p>Soda ash \u2014 sodium carbonate from surface oxidation. The soap is fine. Shave off the powder with a scraper. Next time cover with plastic wrap right after pouring \u2014 the simplest solution.<\/p>\n<h3>Soap in the mold looks like separated layers or has an oily surface<\/h3>\n<p>Seizing or partial seizing \u2014 can occur if temperatures were too different or if lye was poured too quickly. If oils and lye have separated, try placing the mold in an oven preheated to 80 \u00b0C for 1 hour (hot process rescue). This step saves most batches.<\/p>\n<h3>Soap is cracking on the surface<\/h3>\n<p>Overheating during gel phase. The soap is usually fine \u2014 just less attractive. Next time don't wrap the mold too aggressively or lower the oil temperature to 30 \u00b0C.<\/p>\n<h3>Soap tastes \"like a battery&#8220; even after 6 weeks<\/h3>\n<p>Free hydroxide \u2014 the soap is not yet safe. Keep waiting. If the problem persists after 8 weeks, check the NaOH calculation \u2014 there may have been more NaOH than specified in the recipe.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"co-delat-s-prvnim-mydlem\">What to do with your first soap?<\/h2>\n<p>Use it yourself \u2014 for hands, shower, bath. Don't be ashamed of aesthetic imperfections from your first attempt. Soda ash is normal \u2014 shave it off. Rustic surface is normal \u2014 the soap lathers just as well. Gifts to friends from your first recipe? Why not \u2014 everyone appreciates homemade soap.<\/p>\n<p>More important is what you learned: what trace looks like, how quickly soap sets, how it behaves during curing. With this experience, the second batch is much easier \u2014 and the third even simpler.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"caste-otazky\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Do I need to follow temperatures precisely?<\/strong> A difference of up to 10 \u00b0C is not a problem \u2014 soap will still form. If lye is 50 \u00b0C and oils 30 \u00b0C, trace will be slower, but it will come. If lye is 20 \u00b0C and oils 60 \u00b0C, false trace may occur. Try to be in the 35\u201345 \u00b0C range \u2014 it's not exact science, but it helps.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What if I reach trace earlier or later?<\/strong> Trace in 3 minutes: the essential oil likely accelerated it. Trace in 30 minutes: the opposite, slow \u2014 everything is fine, just keep mixing. Neither time will be drastically affected.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can I add colors to this recipe?<\/strong> Yes \u2014 at light trace add oxides or natural pigments (approx. 1\u20132 teaspoons dissolved in a small amount of water). This recipe without colors will be cream or white \u2014 lovely on its own.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do I know the soap is truly safe to use?<\/strong> The tip-of-the-tongue test \u2014 the only reliable home test. pH strips work too \u2014 soap should have pH 9\u201310. Or simply wait 6 weeks, then you can be sure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to buy all ingredients and equipment?<\/strong> Oils at supermarkets (Kaufland, Tesco, Lidl), NaOH at drugstores (DM, Rossmann) or online at soap making e-shops. Equipment at online retailers or hardware stores \u2014 see <a href=\"\/en\/soap\/soap-making-equipment\/\">Soap making equipment in the Czech Republic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"viz-take\">See also<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/soap\/what-is-cold-process-soap\/\">What is cold process soap and how does it work<\/a> \u2014 process theory<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/soap\/lye-safety-soap-making\/\">Lye safety<\/a> \u2014 read before making<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/soap\/soap-making-equipment\/\">Soap making equipment in the Czech Republic<\/a> \u2014 what to buy and where<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/soap-making-ingredients\/soap-calculator\/\">Soap calculator<\/a> \u2014 how to adapt the recipe to your mold<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/soap\/soap-making-problems\/soap-troubleshooting-encyclopedia\/\">Most common problems<\/a> \u2014 when something goes wrong<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>Recipe disclaimer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This recipe was created or revised with the help of artificial intelligence tools and has undergone NaOH gram recalculation. Nevertheless, we recommend verifying lye amounts in an independent calculator (e.g. <a href=\"http:\/\/soapcalc.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SoapCalc<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brambleberry.com\/calculator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brambleberry<\/a>). Working with sodium hydroxide requires protective equipment \u2014 see <a href=\"\/en\/soap\/lye-safety-soap-making\/\">Lye safety<\/a>. Information is for educational purposes; the manufacturer is not liable for damages resulting from their use.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TL;DR: Z\u00e1kladn\u00ed t\u0159\u00edolejov\u00e9 m\u00fddlo (kokos 30 %, olivov\u00fd 40 %, slune\u010dnicov\u00fd 30 %) je ide\u00e1ln\u00ed prvn\u00ed recept. V\u00fdt\u011b\u017eek ~870 g [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":95,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-28","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":203,"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28\/revisions\/203"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/95"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}