Surfactants are wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading, and lower the interfacial tension between two liquids. Etymology The term surfactant's a blend of surface acting agent. Surfactants are usually organic compounds that're amphiphilic, meaning they contain both hydrophobic groups (their "tails") and hydrophilic groups (their "heads"). Therefore, they're soluble in both organic solvents and water. The term surfactant was coined by Antara products… (More on Surfactant)