A cosmetic comprising the following components (A), (B), (C) and (D): (A) 0.001 to 50 % by weight of an organic acid represented by a general formula (1), wherein R 1 denotes a residue derived from a natural sterin having one hydroxy group or a hydrogenated product thereof, or a residue derived from bile acid in which the hydroxyl hydrogen atom is removed R 2 denotes a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms and M denotes a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, ammonium, alkanolammonium having 2 to 9 carbon atoms in total, alkylammonium or alkenylammonium having 1 to 22 carbon atoms in total, a pyridinium substituted with an alkyl group or an alkenyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, or a basic amino acid (B) 0.001 to 20% by weight of a base (C) 0.0001 to 50% by weight of a ceramide and (D) water, and comprising, as a component (E), an acid other than the component (A) in a content satisfying a relationship: 0 ‰¤ (E)/(A) < 0.2, and having pH of 6 to 11.本發明之化粧料含有如下成分(A)、(B)、(C)及(D):(A)以通式(1)表示之有機酸0.001~50重量%[化1][式中,R1表示具有1個羥基之天然固醇或其氫化物、或者膽汁酸之去除羥基的氫原子後殘留之殘基,R2表示碳數1~24之2價烴基,M表示氫原子、鹼金屬、鹼土金屬、銨、總碳數2~9之烷醇銨、總碳數1~22之烷基銨或烯基銨、經碳數1~18之烷基或烯基取代之吡啶陽離子、或鹼性胺基酸]、(B)鹼0.001~20重量%、(C)腦醯胺類0.0001~50重量%、(D)水,且作為成分(E)之成分(A)以外的酸之含量為0≦(E)/(A)<0.2,且pH值為6~11。
