Surfactants from either polyisobutylene or alkylsuccinic anhydrides derivatized with diethanolamine in a 1:1 molar ratio with hydrocarbon and polyisobutylene chains of similar length formed lamellar liquid crystalsin situand also with added water. The repeat distance between layers was determined using low angle X-ray diffraction (LAXD), and the water penetration into the hydrocarbon space in the lamellar structure was calculated.