Detergent compositions

Claim 1

A low irritating detergent and cleansing composition wherein the active ingredients consist essentially of (a) from about 1 to 20% by weight of the total composition of an amphoteric surfactant of the formula ##STR18## wherein R is an alkyl group containing from about 8 to 18 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof; R' is hydroxy alkyl containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms or CH 2 --O--CH 2 --COOM; x and x' are integers from 1 to 5; and M is hydrogen or an alkali metal; and (b) from about 1 to 20% by weight of the total composition of a compound selected from the group consisting of a phosphobetaine of the formula ##STR19## wherein A is selected from O - , OM and --O--Y--R.sup.⊕ B is selected from O - and OM ' X.sup.⊖ is an anion z is an integer from 0 to 2 with the proviso that only one of A and B can be O - and z is of a value necessary for charge balance; R is an amidoamine reactant moiety of the formula ##STR20## wherein R 1 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, or hydroxyalkyl of from 5 to 22 carbon atoms each, or aryl or alkaryl of up to 20 carbon atoms; R 2 is hydrogen or alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkenyl of up to 6 carbon atoms each or cycloalkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, or polyoxyalkalene of up to 10 carbon atoms; R 3 and R 4 , are the same or different and are selected from alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyalkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms in each alkyl moiety, and polyoxyalkylene of up to 10 carbon atoms; in addition, R 3 and R 4 taken together with the nitrogen to which they are attached, may represent an N-heterocycle, structure in which the Y radical is bonded to a ring atom of said N-heterocycle other than the nitrogen of the R moiety; n is an integer from 2 to 12; or R is an N-heterocyclic radical of the formula ##STR21## wherein Z is N, S or O; o is an integer from 0 to 3; p is an integer from 1 to 3; provided that the sum of o+p is from 3 to 4; R 1 is defined as before and is linked to a ring carbon atom; and R 6 is alkyl of from 2 to 6 carbon atoms Y is alkylene, of up to 12 carbon atoms M and M', which may be the same or different, are (a) hydrogen, (b) an organic radical selected from alkyl or hydroxyalkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, polyhydroxyalkyl of up to 10 carbon atoms, glyceryl, cycloalkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, aryl or arylalkyl of up to 10 carbon atoms, or (c) a salt radical selected from alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and mono-, di-, or tri-ethanolamine, provided that when either M or M' is an organic radical (b), the other M and M' must be hydrogen or a salt radical (c); or a phosphitaine of the formula: ##STR22## R and Y are as defined above; wherein the total of (a) and (b) does not exceed about 35% by weight of the total composition.