What are soaps and bile more accurately described as?

Soaps and bile are more accurately described as emulsifiers.

Soaps and bile are amphipathic molecules, meaning they have both hydrophilic ("water-loving") and hydrophobic ("water-hating") regions. This allows them to dissolve both in water and in oils, and they can thus form emulsions, which are mixtures of two immiscible liquids (such as oil and water) that are stabilized by the presence of an emulsifier. This property of bile salts helps in the digestion and absorption of fats and lipids by forming micelles.