What is suffectant?

A suffectant, more commonly referred to as a surfactant, is a substance that reduces the surface tension between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. This property allows surfactants to facilitate processes like emulsification, wetting, and dispersion. They are widely used in various applications, including detergents, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, to enhance the effectiveness of formulations. Surfactants can be classified into categories such as anionic, cationic, nonionic, and amphoteric, based on their chemical structure and charge.