Therefore, these surface molecules are not balanced. The Van der Waals forces only are involved in nonpolar liquids such as triglycerides. As the interior molecules pull on those at the surface, they reduce the area at the surface and this results in an increase in a surface tension. In order to decrease surface tension, interior molecules must be allowed to move to the surface, thus increasing the surface area. Surface tension is commonly measured using a tensiometer and is measured in dynes per centimeter.
Different oils exhibit different surface tension with water.
For example, coconut oil has less tension with water than does peanut oil. In developing products be sure to understand this before choosing a particular oil with which to work.