PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a soft composite particle containing a polymer particle and silica attached to a surface of the polymer particle, having hydrophilic property and excellent in dispersibility in aqueous media, a manufacturing method of the composite particle and an external preparation containing the composite particle.SOLUTION: The composite particle contains a polymer particle and silica attached to a surface of the polymer particle where the polymer particle comprises a polymer of a monomer mixture containing a hydrophilic monofunctional monomer, a monofunctional acrylic acid ester-based monomer having one ethylenic unsaturated group other than the hydrophilic monofunctional monomer, and a polyfunctional acrylic acid ester-based monomer having two or more ethylenic unsaturated groups, the content of silica is 0.2 to 20 wt.% in 100 wt.% of the composite particle, a volume average particle diameter is 5 to 20 &mum, a compression strength during 10% compressive deformation is 0.49 to 5.9 MPa and an amount of water absorption is 40 to 140 ml/100 g.
