| abstract |
An aqueous or aqueous-alcoholic composition useful for washing or rinsing hair which contains a water-soluble ionic polymer and from about 0.1 to 20% by weight of a water soluble salt of a di- or tri-carboxylic acid containing from 6 to 44 carbon atoms. The ionic polymers may be cationic, anionic, amphoteric or zwitter-ionic. Preferred di- or tri-carboxylic acids are those in which two of the carboxyl groups are separated from one another by at least 3 carbon atoms. The composition further includes a quaternary ammonium compound as a preferred component. Hair rinses preferably contain as an additional ingredient from about 0.1 to 10% by weight of a water-insoluble cosmetic oil or fat component, while shampoos additionally contain from about 1 to 25% by weight of anionic, ampholytic, zwitter-ionic or nonionic surfactant. |