A cosmetic cleansing agent containing (i) 1-50% wt, preferably 2-10%, of a biosurfactant, (ii) 0.5-30% wt, preferably 1-20%, of an anionic surfactant and (iii) 0.1-40% wt, preferably 1-10%, of a thickener, and also containing less than 0.1 wt.%, preferably being entirely free of, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, ethylene oxide-containing compounds and propylene oxide-containing compounds. The biosurfactant may be a glycolipid preferably selected from rhamnolipids, sophorolipids or mannosylerythritol lipids a lipopeptide preferably selected from surfactins, fatty acyl glutamates or fatty acyl glycinates or a combination thereof. A sophorolipid in the form of a mixture of 20-60% acid and 40-80% lactone, or a mono- / dirhamnolipid mixture derived from 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid and 3-hydroxyundecanoic acid are particularly preferred. The anionic surfactant may be selected from linear alkane sulphates, monoalkyl / dialkyl sulfosuccinates, acyl isethionates, acyl sarcosines, acyl glutamates and/or acyl glycinates. The thickener may be xanthan gum, guar gum, gellan gum, sorbitan sesquicaprylate, glyceryl laurate, glyceryl caprylate and/or glyceryl caprate, preferably xanthan gum and/or sorbitan sesquicaprylate. The cosmetic cleanser is preferably formulated as a shampoo or shower gel.
