A topical composition for cutaneous application which is a water-in-oil emulsion comprises an oily phase comprising (a) an ingenol derivative in dissolved form (b) at least one non-ionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of polyoxyl glycerides, polyoxyethylene castor oil derivatives, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polysorbates, or a mixture of acrylamide acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, isohexadecane and polysorbate 80, sterols, fatty alcohols, fatty acid phosphonates, mono- or diglycol esters, mono- di- or polyglyceryl esters, mono-, di- or plyglucose esters, sucrose esters or sorbitan esters, the non-ionic surfactant being present in an amount of from about 0.5% by weight to about 10% by weight of the composition (c) a solvent for the ingenol derivative and an aqueous phase buffered to a pH of 2.6-3.7.
