Fight wrinkles straight up, no chaser: sunflower oil can be applied directly to the skin (and is often used

in infant products, it's so gentle!). Sunflower oil helps retain moisture; it's high in Vitamin E, A, C and D as
well. Apply directly to the skin as an antioxidant facial oil.Coconut oil is wonderful as a face cleanser,
moisturizer and sun screen, but also it can treat many skin disorders. The fatty acids (caprylic and lauric)
in coconut oil reduce inflammation internally and externally and moisturize, making them a great
solution for all types of skin conditions.

Studies on individuals with dry skin show that coconut oil can improve the moisture content of the skin.
It can also reduce symptoms of eczemaCoconut oil can also be applied topically, with studies showing it
to be effective as a skin moisturizer Glowy, fresh skin is in! But if that doesn't come naturally for you, just
dab a little liquified coconut oil onto the tops of your cheekbones, cupid's bow (the dip above your upper
lip) and just above eyebrows for hydrated skin that looks lit from within.

Science, Tech, Math › Science

How Does Soap Work?

Soap is an Emulsifier

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soap micelle

A soap micelle has a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails. SuperManu / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-
SA 3.0

by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Updated June 30, 2017

Soaps are sodium or potassium fatty acids salts, produced from the hydrolysis of fats in a chemical
reaction called saponification. Each soap molecule has a long hydrocarbon chain, sometimes called its
'tail', with a carboxylate 'head'. In water, the sodium or potassium ions float free, leaving a negatively-
charged head.

Soap is an excellent cleanser because of its ability to act as an emulsifying agent.

An emulsifier is capable of dispersing one liquid into another immiscible liquid. This means that while oil
(which attracts dirt) doesn't naturally mix with water, soap can suspend oil/dirt in such a way that it can
be removed.

The organic part of a natural soap is a negatively-charged, polar molecule. Its hydrophilic (water-loving)
carboxylate group (-CO2) interacts with water molecules via ion-dipole interactions and hydrogen
bonding. The hydrophobic (water-fearing) part of a soap molecule, its long, nonpolar hydrocarbon chain,
does not interact with water molecules. The hydrocarbon chains are attracted to each other by
dispersion forces and cluster together, forming structures called micelles. In these micelles, the
carboxylate groups form a negatively-charged spherical surface, with the hydrocarbon chains inside the
sphere. Because they are negatively charged, soap micelles repel each other and remain dispersed in
water.

Grease and oil are nonpolar and insoluble in water. When soap and soiling oils are mixed, the nonpolar
hydrocarbon portion of the micelles break up the nonpolar oil molecules. A different type of micelle then
forms, with nonpolar soiling molecules in the center. Thus, grease and oil and the 'dirt' attached to them
are caught inside the micelle and can be rinsed away.