How does soap even work?

Simply put, soaps are a form of sodium. Soap becomes separated into an ion when it comes in contact with water. This ion is called RCOO. There are 2 parts to this ion, and they act in different ways to get you clean. The first end is COO, and loves to interact with water. The other end is the hydrocarbon, which loves to interact with oils. Working together, these ends create a unique molecule structure that is responsible for the unique surface and solubility effects of soaps.

When you mix soap and water, the soap molecules become uniformly dispersed. Soap is an excellent cleaning agent because of this separation. The molecules act as an emulsifying agent which is capable of dispersing one liquid into another immiscible liquid. This all means that since oil does not mix with water, soap can separate the oil and dirt, trapping it above your skin, thus giving you the perfect chance to wash it all away with plain ol’water.