| abstract |
A gelling agent having a high ability of gelling an oily base which is capable of giving a gel composition having a strong gel strength and a good transparency, a gel composition having a strong gel strength and a good transparency, an external composition having a good feel upon use, a cosmetic preparation having a good feel upon use, and a fragrance composition having a good transparency and a good appearance is provided. An amide compound represented by the following formula 1: n nis used. In formula 1, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each independently a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having a carbon number of from 1 to 3 with the proviso that at least one of R 1 , R 2 and R 3 is a hydrogen atom. R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are each independently a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched hydrocarbon group having a total carbon number of from 6 to 24 which optionally has at least one group selected from the group consisting of an ether group, amide group, ester group, amino group and hydroxyl group; and m, n and p are each independently an integer of from 0 to 3. |