 The substance may itself be a surfactant, and it is one of the reasons why many surfactants are ineffective in sea water.Surfactants are usually organic compounds that are amphiphilic, meaning they contain both hydrophobic groups (their "tails") and hydrophilic groups (their "heads").Therefore, a surfactant contains both a water-insoluble (or oil-soluble) component and a water-soluble component.