Detergent compositions

A low irritating detergent and cleansing composition wherein the active ingredients consist essentially of

• (a) from about 1 to 20% by weight of the total composition of an amphoteric surfactant of the formula ##STR18## wherein R is an alkyl group containing from about 8 to 18 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof;
• R' is hydroxy alkyl containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms or CH.sub.2 --O--CH.sub.2 --COOM;
• x and x' are integers from 1 to 5;
• and M is hydrogen or an alkali metal;
• and
• (b) from about 1 to 20% by weight of the total composition of a compound selected from the group consisting of a phosphobetaine of the formula ##STR19## wherein A is selected from O.sup.-, OM and --O--Y--R.sup..sym.
• B is selected from O.sup.- and OM.sup.'
• X.sup..crclbar. is an anion
• z is an integer from 0 to 2
• with the proviso that only one of A and B can be O.sup.- and z is of a value necessary for charge balance;
• R is an amidoamine reactant moiety of the formula ##STR20## wherein R.sup.1 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, or hydroxyalkyl of from 5 to 22 carbon atoms each, or aryl or alkaryl of up to 20 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.2 is hydrogen or alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkenyl of up to 6 carbon atoms each or cycloalkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, or polyoxyalkalene of up to 10 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 and R.sup.4, are the same or different and are selected from alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyalkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms in each alkyl moiety, and polyoxyalkylene of up to 10 carbon atoms;
• in addition, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 taken together with the nitrogen to which they are attached, may represent an N-heterocycle, structure in which the Y radical is bonded to a ring atom of said N-heterocycle other than the nitrogen of the R moiety;
• n is an integer from 2 to 12;
• or
• R is an N-heterocyclic radical of the formula ##STR21## wherein Z is N, S or O;
• o is an integer from 0 to 3;
• p is an integer from 1 to 3;
• provided that the sum of o+p is from 3 to 4;
• R.sup.1 is defined as before and is linked to a ring carbon atom;
• and
• R.sub.6 is alkyl of from 2 to 6 carbon atoms
• Y is alkylene, of up to 12 carbon atoms
• M and M', which may be the same or different, are (a) hydrogen, (b) an organic radical selected from alkyl or hydroxyalkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, polyhydroxyalkyl of up to 10 carbon atoms, glyceryl, cycloalkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, aryl or arylalkyl of up to 10 carbon atoms, or (c) a salt radical selected from alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and mono-, di-, or tri-ethanolamine, provided that when either M or M' is an organic radical (b), the other M and M' must be hydrogen or a salt radical (c);
• or a phosphitaine of the formula:
• ##STR22## R and Y are as defined above;
• wherein the total of (a) and (b) does not exceed about 35% by weight of the total composition.