A polyurethane, soluble or dispersible in water, prepared from organic diisocyanate diols or other isocyanate reactive materials and a 2,2-hydroxymethyl-substituted carboxylic acid diol neutralized with a cosmetically acceptable organic or inorganic base and formulated into a hair fixative composition containing low amounts of volatile organic solvent. The present invention is also directed to a process for the preparation of polyurethanes comprising dispersing the polyurethane after at least 70% of the theoretical isocyanate reaction has taken place, but before completion of the reaction.
