{"id":36,"date":"2026-03-16T18:52:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.7virides.com\/cs\/recepty\/pro-zacatecniky\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T11:19:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T10:19:47","slug":"pro-zacatecniky","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/recepty\/pro-zacatecniky\/","title":{"rendered":"Recipes for beginners: the first steps in cold process soapmaking"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<p><strong>TL;DR:<\/strong> The beginner's recipe needs regular oils (coconut, olive, sunflower), trace over 5-15 minutes, without accelerating essential oils (cinnamon, clove) and forgives minor mistakes. Finest recipe for first attempt: 30% coconut, 40% olive, 30% sunflower oil.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The beginner's recipe has three characteristics: it uses oils that are easy to find, it behaves predictably in production, and it forgives minor mistakes. Not every recipe on the internet meets these conditions - some look simple but contain ingredients that dramatically speed up setting (cinnamon essential oil) or otherwise behave unpredictably.<\/p>\n<p>The recipes on this page are verified from this perspective. They are ordered from the simplest to the slightly more complex.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"jake-jsou-znaky-zacatecnickeho-receptu\">What are the signs of a \"beginner&#8220; recipe?<\/h2>\n<p>The beginner's recipe is characterized by three criteria that make your first production easier:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Simple, commonly available oils:<\/strong> Coconut oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, cocoa or shea butter - all available in any drugstore or supermarket. No exotic ingredients.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Predictable trace time:<\/strong> The recipe must not set too quickly (then it cannot be poured into the mould) or too slowly (then it takes hours of mixing). Good beginner recipes achieve light trace in 5-15 minutes with a stick blender.<\/p>\n<p><strong>No problematic perfumes:<\/strong> Some essential oils (cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, ginger) accelerate the trace - the soap solidifies in the bowl before pouring into the mold. For first recipes, I recommend lavender or mint.<\/p>\n<p><strong>They forgive soda ash:<\/strong> Soda ash (white dust on the surface) is the most common aesthetic mistake made by beginners. Good beginner recipes account for it and instructions include how to minimize it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"recept-1-jak-vyrobit-mydlo-zakladni-recept-pro-uplne-zacatecniky\">Recipe 1: How to make soap \u2014 basic recipe for complete beginners<\/h2>\n<p>What are the main ingredients and steps? The simplest functional recipe. Four ingredients, predictable behaviour, the result is a solid soap with good lather.<\/p>\n<h3>Overview<\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><strong>Yield<\/strong><\/th>\n<th>~900 g (8\u201310 bars)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\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>Production time<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>~1.5 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Curing<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>4\u20136 weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Ingredients<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>280 g coconut oil (40%)<\/li>\n<li>280 g olive oil (40%)<\/li>\n<li>140 g sunflower oil (20%)<\/li>\n<li>100,8 g NaOH (sodium hydroxide)<\/li>\n<li>250 g distilled water<\/li>\n<li><em>Optional:<\/em> 14 g lavender or peppermint essential oil<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Super fat:<\/strong> 5 %<\/p>\n<h3>Procedure<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Put on safety goggles and gloves.<\/li>\n<li>Weigh water into a stainless steel or PP container. Weigh NaOH. Slowly pour NaOH into water while stirring. Let cool to 35\u201340\u00b0C.<\/li>\n<li>Melt coconut oil, add olive and sunflower. Temper to 35\u201340\u00b0C.<\/li>\n<li>Pour the lye solution into the oils. Mix with a stick blender (5\u201310 s pulses). Trace occurs within 5\u201315 minutes.<\/li>\n<li>At light trace, add essential oil, stir.<\/li>\n<li>Pour into the mold. Cover with wrap. Wrap in a towel.<\/li>\n<li>Unmold and cut after 24\u201348 hours. Curing 4\u20136 weeks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Properties of the finished soap:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hardness: ~46 (good hardness)<\/li>\n<li>Cleansing: ~22 (good cleansing power)<\/li>\n<li>Conditioning: ~56 (excellent conditioning)<\/li>\n<li>Bubbly: ~22<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"recept-2-jak-zvysit-tvrdost-mydlo-s-kakaovym-maslem-extra-tvrdost\">Recipe 2: How to increase hardness \u2014 soap with cocoa butter (extra hardness)<\/h2>\n<p>What effect does cocoa have? The addition of cocoa butter increases hardness and contributes to richer colours when dyeing.<\/p>\n<h3>Overview<\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><strong>Yield<\/strong><\/th>\n<th>~900 g<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Difficulty<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606 Easy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Curing<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>4\u20136 weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Ingredients<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>245 g coconut oil (35%)<\/li>\n<li>245 g olive oil (35%)<\/li>\n<li>105 g sunflower oil (15%)<\/li>\n<li>105 g cocoa butter (15%)<\/li>\n<li>99,7 g NaOH<\/li>\n<li>260 g distilled water<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Super fat:<\/strong> 5 %<\/p>\n<h3>Procedure<\/h3>\n<p>Same as Recipe 1 - but the cocoa butter needs to be melted together with the coconut oil (melting point ~35 \u00b0C).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cocoa butter contributes to a \"smooth&#8220; pouring into the mould<\/li>\n<li>The natural cocoa butter (chocolate) scent subsides when essential oil is added<\/li>\n<li>Soap is harder after 24 hours than without cocoa butter - cut as soon as possible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"recept-3-jak-pecovat-o-citlivou-plet-mydlo-se-sea-maslem-pro-citlivou-plet\">Recipe 3: How to care for sensitive skin \u2014 soap with shea butter for sensitive skin<\/h2>\n<p>Why is shea butter useful? Shea butter is exceptional for its high proportion of unsaponifiable fraction - the conditioning agents persist in the soap even after saponification.<\/p>\n<h3>Overview<\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><strong>Yield<\/strong><\/th>\n<th>~900 g<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Difficulty<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606 Easy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Curing<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>4\u20136 weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Ingredients<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>210 g coconut oil (30%)<\/li>\n<li>280 g olive oil (40%)<\/li>\n<li>105 g sunflower oil (15%)<\/li>\n<li>105 g shea butter (15%)<\/li>\n<li>97.3 g NaOH<\/li>\n<li>260 g distilled water<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Super fat:<\/strong> 5% (or 7% for even gentler soap)<\/p>\n<h3>Tips for shea butter<\/h3>\n<p>Shea butter sometimes comes in two forms: refined (white, odourless) and unrefined (yellowish, with an earthy smell). Both work well for soap - but the unrefined has a more pronounced scent that can overwhelm the perfume.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"recept-4-jak-vytvorit-hustou-penu-mydlo-s-ricinolin-olejem-pro-hustou-penu\">Recipe 4: How to create thick lather \u2014 soap with castor oil for thick lather<\/h2>\n<p>What is the effect of castor oil? Castor oil produces an exceptionally thick, stable foam. Just 10% in a recipe will change the quality of the foam dramatically.<\/p>\n<h3>Overview<\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><strong>Yield<\/strong><\/th>\n<th>~900 g<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Difficulty<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\u2605\u2605\u2606\u2606\u2606 Easy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Curing<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>4\u20136 weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Ingredients<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>245 g coconut oil (35%)<\/li>\n<li>245 g olive oil (35%)<\/li>\n<li>140 g sunflower oil (20%)<\/li>\n<li>70 g castor oil (10%)<\/li>\n<li>99,0 g NaOH<\/li>\n<li>260 g distilled water<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Super fat:<\/strong> 5 %<\/p>\n<h3>Notes on castor oil<\/h3>\n<p>Castor oil is very thick - add it last to the oils and mix well. Trace with ricinoline occurs a little faster than without it - be prepared.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"recept-5-jak-trpelive-zrat-kastilske-mydlo-pro-trpelive\">Recipe 5: How to cure patiently \u2014 Castile soap (for the patient)<\/h2>\n<p>What are the specifics of Castilian soap? Castile soap is 100% olive oil - the simplest formulation, but requires patience in production (slow trace) and aging (6-12 months).<\/p>\n<p><strong>See detailed guide:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/en\/homemade-soap-recipes\/castile-soap-recipe\/\">Castile soap \u2014 recipe and guide<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"recept-6-jak-pridat-kozi-mleko-mydlo-z-koziho-mleka\">Recipe 6: How to add goat milk \u2014 Goat milk soap<\/h2>\n<p>What are the benefits of milk in soap? For those who have mastered the basic recipes and want to try the first \"special&#8220; soap. Goat's milk adds conditioning properties and softness. It requires the technique of freezing the milk.<\/p>\n<p><strong>See detailed guide:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/en\/homemade-soap-recipes\/goat-milk-soap-recipe\/\">Goat milk soap \u2014 recipe and guide<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"priorita-psani-dalsich-receptu\">Priority for writing more recipes<\/h2>\n<p>Based on reader interest, we plan to gradually add:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Oatmeal soap<\/strong> \u2014 gentle exfoliation, ideal for sensitive skin<\/li>\n<li><strong>Coffee grounds soap<\/strong> \u2014 energizing exfoliation, coffee scent<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lavender soap<\/strong> \u2014 classic, first soap for many beginners<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chamomile soap<\/strong> \u2014 for skin prone to irritation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Soap without added ingredients<\/strong> \u2014 for allergy sufferers and minimalists<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"caste-otazky\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Can I double or triple the recipe?<\/strong> Yes - the soapmaking calculator will recalculate the amount of NaOH automatically. Be careful when preparing the lye solution - more quantity = more heat. The cooling time takes longer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can I change the oils in the recipe?<\/strong> Yes, but you have to recalculate the NaOH in the calculator. Each oil has a different saponification number. See <a href=\"\/en\/soap-making-ingredients\/soap-calculator\/\">Soap calculator<\/a>. The change will affect hardness, foaminess and conditioning.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What if my soap is still too soft after 48 hours?<\/strong> Wait 72 hours. If still soft - put the mould in the freezer for an hour, then take out. This may be due to a higher percentage of olive oil (normal) or too low a cooking temperature. Increase the percentage of coconut oil for the next batch.<\/p>\n<p><strong>My soap has white dust on the surface - what to do?<\/strong> Soda ash - sodium carbonate from surface oxidation. Soap is fine. Shave it off with a scraper or a sharp knife. Next time, cover the surface with foil immediately after pouring. You can also spray alcohol on the surface.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do I know the soap is ready to use?<\/strong> After 4-6 weeks it should be ripe and hard. Test the pH with pH paper - it should be around pH 9-10. If in doubt, leave it to age longer - soap won't spoil even after a year of aging.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can I add more essential oil for a stronger scent?<\/strong> More essential oil may not result in a stronger scent - it increases the risk of trace acceleration and can alter the hardness of the soap. I recommend 2-3% max.<\/p>\n<p><strong>See also:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/soap\/what-is-cold-process-soap\/\">What is cold process soap<\/a> \u2014 production theory<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/soap\/lye-safety-soap-making\/\">Lye safety<\/a> \u2014 read before your first attempt<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/soap-making-ingredients\/soap-calculator\/\">Soap calculator<\/a> \u2014 adjust the recipe to your mold<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/soap\/soap-making-equipment\/\">Soap making equipment in the Czech Republic<\/a> \u2014 what you need to buy<\/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: Za\u010d\u00e1te\u010dnick\u00fd recept pot\u0159ebuje b\u011b\u017en\u00e9 oleje (kokos, olivov\u00fd, slune\u010dnicov\u00fd), trace v pr\u016fb\u011bhu 5\u201315 minut, bez akceleruj\u00edc\u00edch esenci\u00e1ln\u00edch olej\u016f (sko\u0159ice, h\u0159eb\u00ed\u010dek) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":15,"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-36","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36","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=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214,"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36\/revisions\/214"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.7virides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}