If oil floats on water, why is it that when we wash our hands the oil doesn’t get displaced by the water but sticks to our hands instead?

Question

If oil floats on water, why is it that when we wash our hands the oil doesn’t get displaced by the water but sticks to our hands instead?

In: 20

Answer 1

Oil is hydrophobic meaning it doesn’t like to interact with water. You could use an amphiphilic substance—a substance that can interact with oil and water—to remove that oil. For example, a lot of makeup is oil based which is why a product like Bioderma or other makeup removers are amphipathic.