# Nose grease kills sodapop foam...why?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2001, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nose-grease-kills-sodapop-foam-why/92049 "2001-11-07T20:22:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DJMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@DJMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nose-grease-kills-sodapop-foam-why/92049/1 "2001-11-07T20:22:59Z")
Before I deigned to ask a question, I made sure that, per your massive searchable online archive, no one had asked Cecil O. Great-One this question, so I pose it to the Straight Advisory board and all honorary members: why is it that you can quickly kill the head of foam on a quickly-poured glass of sodapop by rubbing your nose and touching the foam? Believe it or not, I’d imagine that a little bit of scientific research MUST have been devoted to this burning question, even if it’s at the grade school and high school science fair level. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nose-grease-kills-sodapop-foam-why/92049/2 "2001-11-07T20:26:21Z")
Hell with that, I wanna know how it’s possible to have a post count of 0. I swear, I’m looking at his name right now and that’s what it says. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nose-grease-kills-sodapop-foam-why/92049/3 "2001-11-07T20:32:33Z")
I suspect its the same principle as pouring oil on troubled waters. The skin oils change the surface tension, and presto, foam reduction. Smoother sailing, too. ---
**Author:** ![DJMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@DJMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nose-grease-kills-sodapop-foam-why/92049/4 "2001-11-07T20:33:28Z")
Hmm, that would have made sense, this one is only post #2… unless you want me to get smart-arsed facetiously metaphysical on the subject, eh? Posting from the theoretical mindsphere, Thomas ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nose-grease-kills-sodapop-foam-why/92049/5 "2001-11-07T21:21:03Z")
You don’t need to bother rubbing your nose first - just sticking your finger in will do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nose-grease-kills-sodapop-foam-why/92049/6 "2001-11-07T23:31:34Z")
Works with beer from a keg (or anywhere), too. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nose-grease-kills-sodapop-foam-why/92049/7 "2001-11-08T04:15:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Knighted Vorpal Sword \* > \*\*You don’t need to bother rubbing your nose first - just sticking your finger in will do the trick. \*\* Unless you just washed your hands. Thay have to be oily too.