A substance used in oil spill remediation. A surfactant breaks oil into small droplets which helps to increase the surface area of the oil spill, increasing the rate at which the oil can be degraded or weathered into less toxic substances. A surfactant formula used on an oil spill can contain a blend of one or more hydrophilic and one or more lipophilic surfactants so balanced that they will form microemulsions with the sea water and the oil to be dispersed.