Why are things like lipids and surfactants slippery?

Question

Why are things like lipids and surfactants slippery?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

So liquids are usually slippery because they have less friction with say, your hands than with their own molecules. Lipids and surfactants have these long hydrophobic chains that can order and are thus usually pretty viscous, meaning they have more friction with layers below than with your hands.