A (meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate ester copolymer containing:95.42 to 97.48% by mass of (meth)acrylic acid;2.43 to 4.30% by mass of an alkyl (meth)acrylate ester, and0.08 to 0.30% by mass of a compound having two or more ethylenically unsaturated groups.Use in cosmetics.