Cosmetic Composition and Conditioning Agent

A cosmetic composition comprising:

• from 0.05 to 5 mass % of a copolymer ((3);
• from 0.1 to 20 mass % of a cationic surfactant;
• and
• from 0.1 to 20 mass % of a higher alcohol;
• wherein the copolymer (β) includes a constituent unit derived from a monomer (a) below and at least one constituent unit derived from monomers (b) to (e) below;
• wherein the copolymer (β) comprises from 50 to 100 mass % of the constituent unit derived from vinyl monomer (A) having a carboxyl group per a total mass of the copolymer (β), and wherein from 50 to 100 mol % of the carboxyl groups are not neutralized;
• and wherein the copolymer (β) has a mass average molecular weight of from 3,000 to 400,000;
• wherein the Monomer (a) is acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid;
• wherein the Monomer (b) is one or two or more types of vinyl monomers expressed by formulas (1), (2), and (3) below:
• CH2═C(R1)—CO—(O—(CH2)m—CO)n—OH (1)
• (in formula (1), R1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, “m” is an integer from 1 to 4, and “n” is an integer from 1 to 4);
• CH2═C(R2)—COO—(CH2)p—OCO—(CH2)q—COOH (2)
• (in formula (2), R2 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and “p” and “q” are each independently an integer from 2 to 6);
• CH2═C(R3)—COO—(CH2)e—OCO—X—COOH (3)
• (in formula (3), R3 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, “e” is an integer from 1 to 4, and “X” is a cyclohexylene group optionally having a substituent or a phenylene group optionally having a substituent);
• wherein the Monomer (c):
• a vinyl monomer expressed by formula (4) below:
• CH2═C(R4)—CO—Y—(Z—O)r—R5 (4)
• (in formula (4), R4 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R5 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbons, “Y” is an oxygen atom or NH, “Z” is an alkylene group having from 2 to 4 carbons and optionally having a substituent, and “r” is an integer from 1 to 15);
• wherein the Monomer (d):
• a vinyl monomer expressed by formula (5) below:
• CH2═C(R6)—COO—R7 (5)
• (in formula (5), R6 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R7 is a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 12 to 22 carbons, a cyclohexyl group optionally having a substituent, or a phenyl group optionally having a substituent), and wherein the Monomer (e):
• a vinyl monomer expressed by formula (6) below:
• CH2═C(R8)—CO—N(R9)R10 (6)
• (in formula (6), R8 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R9 and R10 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbons).