A cosmetic composition comprising at least one water-soluble or water-dispersible polymer which comprises, in copolymerized form,

• a) at least one ,-ethylenically unsaturated monomer of the formula I ##STR1##
  • in which
  • R¹ is hydrogen or C₁-C₈-alkyl, and
  • X₁ is O or NR², where R² is hydrogen, C₁-C₈-alkyl or if C₅-C₈-cycloalkyl,
• b) at least one ,-ethylenically unsaturated mono- and/or dicarboxylic acid,
• c) at least one compound having at least one ,-ethylenically unsaturated double bond and at least 5 alkylene oxide units per molecule,
• d) at least one compound having at least one ,-ethylenically unsaturated double bond and at least one straight-chain or branched C₈-C₃₀-alkyl or -alkylene radical per molecule,
• where the components c) and/or d) can be partially or completely replaced by a component e), where
• e) is at least one compound having at least one ,-ethylenically unsaturated double bond, at least 5 alkylene oxide units and at least one straight-chain or branched C₈-C₃₀-alkyl or -alkylene radical per molecule,
• or the salts thereof.