If it were not for a defoamer, the objects that surround our daily lives either may not be possible or would be at such a high cost, they would probably not be obtainable by the average consumer.

Defoamers are used to either control foam formation or eliminate foam from forming during the intended process. When the formation of foam is prevented, the chemical is usually referred to as antifoam. Most often, the terms defoamer and antifoam are used interchangeably.

Foam can be generated by either mechanical agitation or through a chemically influenced mechanism, such as fermentation process, for example. Defoamers are manufactured and engineered to work in specific environments. Environments in which defoamers are expected to work could include temperature, pH, solubility or its insolubility, under pressure, or chemical constituent's compatibility. Defoamers may even be required to meet certain regulations such as The Food and Drug Administration Code of Federal Regulations, EPA, National Science Foundation, Kosher or Kosher for Passover Certification, or just be used for industrial applications meeting local, state, and federal guidelines. Depending on each state or country, the laws are specific and govern the defoamer's selection and application.