A sophorolid produced by a method involving reacting a compound of formula I ##STR00001## with a compound of formula II ##STR00002## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are H, C.sub.1-C.sub.18 alkyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.18 alkenyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, phenyl, or C.sub.1 through C.sub.18 acyl or alkoxycarbonyl, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are not both acyl, R.sup.3 is H, CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2-phenyl, CH.sub.2--C.sub.6H.sub.4--OH, CH.sub.2CO.sub.2H, CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CO.sub.2H, CH(CH.sub.3).sub.2, CH.sub.2CH(CH.sub.3).sub.2, CH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2OH, CH(CH.sub.3)OH, CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH.sub.2NH.sub.2, CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CONH.sub.2, CH.sub.2CONH.sub.2, CH.sub.2--C.sub.3N.sub.2H.sub.3(histidine), CH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH.sub.2NHC(NH)NH.sub.2, CH.sub.2CH.sub.2SCH.sub.3, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be joined in a ring, R.sup.4 is H, C.sub.1-C.sub.18 alkyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.18 alkenyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, or phenyl, n is 0-6, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are H, C.sub.1-C.sub.18 alkyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.18 alkenyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, or phenyl, and X is C.sub.1-C.sub.18 alkyl or C.sub.1-C.sub.18 alkenyl; optionally followed by acidolytic (treating with an acid) or hydrogenolytic deprotection (treating with a hydrogenolysis catalyst) which removes one of the groups R.sup.1 or R.sup.2 and replaces it with hydrogen. Also a sophorolipid containing composition containing a carrier and at least one sophorolipid described above.