Final answer:
Surfactants, essential in soaps and detergents, lower water's surface tension to facilitate the creation of emulsions by mixing oil and water. They consist of a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail, contrary to the false statement that they always have a lipophilic head and hydrophilic tail.
Step-by-step explanation:
Surfactants, or surface-active agents, are compounds that reduce the surface tension of water. They are key ingredients in products like soaps and detergents, and they allow for the interaction between water and various other substances like oils or grease which do not typically mix. This property makes surfactants crucial in forming emulsions, where they act to disperse hydrophobic liquids in water.
Contrary to the options stated in the question, surfactants typically contain a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head, allowing them to be soluble in water while also being able to interact with nonpolar substances such as oils. They do not deliver active agents into the skin, nor are they exclusively present in emulsions. However, their role in reducing water's surface tension and their ability to act as emulsifying agents are pivotal in the creation of emulsions, such as mixing oil and water, and they improve the cleaning performance by emulsifying soil into water.