Surfactant is the short term for surface active agent. Surfactantsare ingredients that lower the surface tension between two substances, such as two liquids or a liquid and a solid. A surfactant molecule contains one end that is hydrophilic (attracted to water) and one end that is lipophilic (attracted to oil). This allows surfactants to attract and suspends oils, dirt, and other impurities that have accumulated on the skin and wash them away. Due to these properties, surfactants are used in products such as cleansers, body washes, and shampoos. Surfactants can be classified by the charge characteristics of their polar (hydrophilic) head groups. The four classifications are anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and non-ionic. Anionic surfactants, such as carboxylic acids and sulfates, have a negative charge on their polar head groups and are most useful for applications that require good cleansing and foam. Cationic surfactants, such as amines and quaternized ammonium compounds (quats), have a positive charge on their polar head and provide conditioning effects. Amphoteric surfactants have the potential to either have a positive or negative charge, depending on the pH of the finished product. Amphoteric surfactants, such as coco betaine and cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, are primarily used as secondary surfactants in cosmetics and personal care products. Lastly, non-ionic surfactants have no specific charge in their hydrophilic head, and are primarily used as emulsifiers, conditioning ingredients, and solubilizing agents. Nonionic surfactants have no foaming capabilities and provide very gentle cleansing properties to the formulation.=