An aqueous composition having a pH of at least 10, and comprising from 0.1% to 5% of at least one crosslinked copolymer comprising from 2.5% to 65% (meth)acrylic acid residues, from 10% to 80% C.sub.2-C.sub.4 alkyl (meth)acrylate residues, from 2% to 25% lipophilically modified (meth)acrylate residues and residues of a crosslinker that has no ester or amide functionality.