Composition for the treatment of keratin fibers, based on amphoteric polymers and cationic polymers

A composition for application to human hair which comprises, in a cosmetically acceptable carrier or diluent:

• a) at least one amphoteric polymer containing units A and B distributed in the polymer chain, where A denotes a unit derived from a monomer containing at least one basic nitrogen atom and B denotes a unit derived from an acid monomer containing one or more carboxyl or sulphonyl groups, or, alternatively, A and B denote a group derived from a zwitterionic carboxybetaine monomer;
• b) at least one cationic polyamine or poly-(quaternary ammonium) polymer selected from the group consisting of:
• 1) a quaternised or unquaternised vinylpyrrolidone polymer,
• 2) a quaternised guar gum,
• 3) a homo- or copolymer containing, as the main constituent of the chain, units corresponding to the formula VIII or VIII':
• ##STR33## in which formulae R" denotes hydrogen or methyl, R and R' independently denote an alkyl group having from 1 to 22 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl group, or a lower amidoalkyl group, or R and R', together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, denote a heterocyclic group, ##STR34## in which R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, which are identical or different, represent an aliphatic, alicyclic or arylaliphatic radical containing a maximum of 20 carbon atoms, or a lower hydroxyaliphatic radical or alternatively R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, together or separately denote with the nitrogen atoms to which they are attached, a heterocyclic ring which optionally contains a second hetero-atom other than nitrogen, or alternatively, R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 represent a group of the formula:
• ##STR35## in which R'.sub.3 denotes hydrogen or lower alkoxy and R'.sub.4 denotes --CN, or a group ##STR36## R'.sub.5 denoting lower alkyl, R'.sub.6 denoting hydrogen or lower alkyl, R'.sub.7 denoting alkylene and D denoting a quaternary ammonium group, A and B independently represent polymethylene groups containing from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, which is linear or branched and saturated or unsaturated and optionally contain one or more chain aromatic rings or one or more groups --CH.sub.2 --Y--CH.sub.2 --, in which Y denotes O, S, ##STR37## in which X.sub.1.sup.- denotes an anion derived from a mineral or organic acid, R'.sub.8 denotes hydrogen or lower alkyl and R'.sub.9 denotes lower alkyl, or alternatively A, R.sub.1 and R.sub.3, together with the two nitrogen atoms to which they are attached, form a piperazine ring;
• and
• 5) a chitosan derivative
• wherein each of said amphoteric and cationic polymers is present in an amount of 0.5 to 5% by weight and having a molecular weight of 500 to 2,000,000,
• said composition containing essentially no anionic polymer.