Cosmetic or pharmaceutical compositions in the form of stable oil-in-water emulsions

An oil-in-water emulsion comprising 15 to 60 percent by weight of an oil phase, 40 to 85 percent by weight of an aqueous phase and an effective amount of an emulsifying agent, said emulsifying agent comprising

• (i) a mixture of (1) an alkyl carboxylate of .alpha.-methyl glucoside, wherein the alkyl carboxylate moiety is selected from the group consisting of mono-laurate, di-laurate, mono-palmitate, di-palmitate, mono-stearate and di-stearate, or a mixture of said alkyl carboxylates of .alpha.-methyl glucoside and (2) an alkyl carboxylate of .alpha.-methyl glucoside polyoxyethylenated with 10-30 moles of ethylene oxide wherein the alkyl carboxylate moiety is selected from the group consisting of mono-laurate, di-laurate, mono-palmitate, di-palmitate, mono-stearate and di-stearate, or a mixture of said polyoxyethylenated alkyl carboxylates of .alpha.-methyl glucoside, the weight ratio of (1) to (2) ranging from 40-60:60-40, said mixture of (1) and (2) being present in an amount of about 3 to 15 percent by weight based on the total weight of said emulsion,
• (ii) vegetable lecithin or egg lecithin, present in an amount of about 0.03 to 1.2 percent by weight based on the total weight of said emulsion,
• (iii) egg yolk oil present in an amount of about 0.3 to 4 percent by weight based on the total weight of said emulsion, and
• (iv) a water soluble acrylic acid polymer present in an amount of about 0.1 to 0.5 percent by weight based on the total weight of said emulsion.