Use
Characteristic of soaps, sodium stearate has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts, the carboxylate and the long hydrocarbon chain, respectively. These two chemically different components induce the formation of micelles, which present the hydrophilic heads outwards and their hydrophobic (hydrocarbon) tails inwards, providing a lipophilic environment for hydrophobic compounds. It is also used in the pharmaceutical industry as a surfactant to aid the solubility of hydrophobic compounds in the production of various mouth foams.
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