Thickened aqueous composition and use

A thickening agent for a composition comprising an aqueous phase, said thickening agent comprising,

• at least one amphiphilic polymer comprising at least one fatty chain and hydrophilic units, provided that said at least one amphiphilic polymer is not a cellulose ether which has been made hydrophobic, and
• at least one polyoxyalkylenated silicone chosen from compounds of formulae (I), (II), (Ill), (IV) and (V):
• ((Z(R2SiO)qR′2SiZO)((CnH2nO)r))s (V)
• wherein, in formulae (I), (II), (Ill) and (IV),
• R1, which is identical or different, is chosen from linear and branched C1-C30 alkyl radicals and phenyl radicals,
• R2, which is identical or different, is chosen from —CcH2c—O—(C2H4O)a(C3H6O)b—R5 radicals and —CcH2c—O—(C4H8O)a—R5 radicals,
• R3 and R4, which are identical or different, are chosen from linear and branched C1-C12 alkyl radicals,
• R5, which is identical or different, is chosen from a hydrogen atom, linear and branched alkyl radicals having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, linear and branched alkoxy radicals having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, linear and branched acyl radicals having 2 to 30 carbon atoms, —SO3M radicals, C1-C6 aminoalkoxy radicals optionally substituted on the amine, C2-C6 aminoacyl radicals optionally substituted on the amine, —NHCH2CH2COOM radicals, —N(CH2CH2COOM)2 radicals, aminoalkyl radicals optionally substituted on the amine and on the alkyl chain, C2-C30 carboxyacyl radicals, phosphono groups optionally substituted with one or two substituted aminoalkyl radicals, —CO(CH2)dCOOM radicals, —COCHR7(CH2)dCOOM radicals, —NHCO(CH2)dOH radicals, —NH3Y radicals, and a phosphate group,
• M, which is identical or different, is chosen from a hydrogen atom, Na, K, Li, NH4, and organic amines,
• R7 is chosen from hydrogen and SO3M radicals,
• d ranges from 1 to 10,
• m ranges from 0 to 20,
• n ranges from 0 to 500,
• o ranges from 0 to 20,
• p ranges from 1 to 50,
• a ranges from 0 to 50,
• b ranges from 0 to 50,
• a+b is greater than or equal to 2,
• c ranges from 0 to 4,
• x ranges from 1 to 100,
• Y is chosen from monovalent inorganic and organic anions,
• provided that when said silicone is chosen from compounds of formula (II) where R5 is hydrogen, then n is greater than 12;
• and wherein, in the formula (V):
• R and R′, which are identical or different, are chosen from monovalent hydrocarbon radicals,
• n ranges from 2 to 4,
• q is greater than or equal to 4,
• r is greater than or equal to 4,
• s is greater than or equal to 4, and
• Z is chosen from divalent organic groups which are linked to the adjacent silicon atom by a carbon-silicon bond and to a polyoxyalkylene block by an oxygen atom.

A process for enhancing the thickening power of at least one amphiphilic polymer comprising at least one fatty chain and hydrophilic units, wherein said at least one amphiphilic polymer is not a cellulose ether that has been made hydrophobic and wherein said at least one amphiphilic polymer is present in a composition comprising an aqueous phase, said process comprising,

• adding to said composition at least one polyoxyalkylenated silicone chosen from compounds of formulae (I), (II), (Ill), (IV) and (V):
• ((Z(R2SiO)qR′2SiZO)((CnH2nO)r))s (V)
• wherein, in formulae (I), (II), (Ill) and (IV),
• R1, which is identical or different, is chosen from linear and branched C1-C30
• R2, which is identical or different, is chosen from —CcH2c—O—(C2H4O)a(C3H6O)b—R5 radicals and —CcH2c—O—(C4H8O)a—R5 radicals,
• R3 and R4, which are identical or different, are chosen from linear and branched C1-C12 alkyl radicals,
• R5, which is identical or different, is chosen from a hydrogen atom, linear and branched alkyl radicals having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, linear and branched alkoxy radicals having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, linear and branched acyl radicals having 2 to 30 carbon atoms, —SO3M radicals, C1-C6 aminoalkoxy radicals optionally substituted on the amine, C2-C6 aminoacyl radicals optionally substituted on the amine, —NHCH2CH2COOM radicals, —N(CH2CH2COOM)2 radicals, aminoalkyl radicals optionally substituted on the amine and on the alkyl chain, C2-C30 carboxyacyl radicals, phosphono groups optionally substituted with one or two substituted aminoalkyl radicals, —CO(CH2)dCOOM radicals, —COCHR7(CH2)dCOOM radicals, —NHCO(CH2)dOH radicals, —NH3Y radicals, and a phosphate group,
• M, which is identical or different, is chosen from hydrogen, Na, K, Li, NH4, and organic amines,
• R7 is chosen from hydrogen and SO3M radicals,
• d ranges from 1 to 10,
• m ranges from 0 to 20,
• n ranges from 0 to 500,
• o ranges from 0 to 20,
• p ranges from 1 to 50,
• a ranges from 0 to 50,
• b ranges from 0 to 50,
• a+b is greater than or equal to 2,
• c ranges from 0 to 4,
• x ranges from 1 to 100,
• Y is chosen from monovalent inorganic and organic anions,
• provided that when said silicone is chosen from compounds of formula (II) where R5 is hydrogen then n is greater than 12;
• and wherein, in the formula (V)
• R and R′, which are identical or different, are chosen from monovalent hydrocarbon radicals,
• n ranges from 2 to 4,
• q is greater than or equal to 4,
• r is greater than or equal to 4,
• s is greater than or equal to 4,
• Z is chosen from divalent organic groups which are linked to the adjacent silicon atom by a carbon-silicon bond and to a polyoxyalkylene block by an oxygen atom.