Ocean aerosols are of important because of their climatic and environmental effects. When bubbles in seawater rise to the surface and burst, they enrich the surface-active substances present in the sea-surface microlayer into Sea Spray Aerosol (SSA), thus affecting their physical and chemical properties. In this study, the sources and quantitative characterization methods for marine surface-active substances are reviewed. The effects of surface-active substances on the concentration and particle size distribution of SSA are addressed, and the influencing mechanisms of hygroscopicity, cloud condensation nucleation activity, and ice nucleation activity are summarized. Owing to different sources, types, and other environmental conditions; the effects of surface-active substances on SSA generation and physicochemical properties vary significantly, making it difficult to study the environmental and climatic effects of SSA. In the future, further observational and modeling research on surface-active substances is required to provide scientific support for improved regional and global modeling of SSA.