Cleansing compositions, e.g. for use in washing the hair, comprise a salt of a derivative of an alkylene polyamine which contains at least one basic nitrogen atom and at least one nonaromatic hydrocarbon radical containing at least 7 carbon atoms and bound to a, preferably tertiary, amino nitrogen atom at least one residue of the formula <FORM:0883724/III/1> in which A represents an alkylene residue, B represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyalkyl or hydroxyalkoxyalkyl group and B2 represents a hydroxyalkyl or hydroxyalkoxylalkyl group (see Group IV(b)) in admixture with an inert diluent, a further detergent or a carrier substance. Other constituents of the compositions specified are lactic or hydrochloric acid, a condensation product of tertiary dodecylmercaptan and ethylene oxide, and water. Perfume, dyes, bleaching agents and thickening agents may also be added to the shampoos.ALSO:The invention comprises derivatives of alkylene polyamines which contain at least one basic nitrogen atom and at least one non-aromatic hydrocarbon radical containing at least 7 carbon atoms and bound to a, preferably tertiary, amino nitrogen atom at least one residue of the formula <FORM:0883724/IV (b)/1> in which A represents an alkylene residue, B1 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyalkyl or hydroxyalkoxyalkyl group and B2 represents a hydroxyalkyl or hydroxyalkoxyalkyl group and salts of such compounds with acids and a process for the production thereof wherein an alkylene polyamine containing at least one non-aromatic hydrocarbon radical containing at least 7 carbon atoms and at least one primary, or preferably secondary amine nitrogen atom, is reacted with a compound of the formula <FORM:0883724/IV (b)/2> in which X is a halogen atom, which is eliminated in the reaction with the alkylene polyamine together with the hydrogen atom bound to the amine nitrogen atom, A represents an alkylene radical, B1 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxy-alkyl or hydroxyalkoxyalkyl and B2 represents a hydroxyalkyl or hydroxyalkoxyalkyl group and optionally converting the product to a salt by reaction with an acid. The products are employed in cosmetic preparations (see Group VI) and cleansing compositions such as shampoos (see Group III). Starting materials specified include alkylated polyalkylene polyamines and alkylene, e.g., ethylene and propylene, oxide derivatives thereof, acylated polyamines and their reaction products with halogenhydrins and alkylene oxides. Salt-forming acids specified include hydrochloric sulphuric, phosphoric, boric, formic, acetic, lactic, citric and glycollic acids. In examples, products of the invention are obtained by processes comprising reacting with chloracetic ethanolamide hydroxyethylaminoethyl coconut fatty acid amide (1), the coconut fatty acid or stearic acid amide of dihydroxyethyldi ethylenetriamine (3); the coconut fatty acid or stearic acid amide of dihydroxyethyltriethylene tetramine (4); the product of reacting the stearic amide of triethylenetetramine with glycerol-1-chlorohydrin (5); by reacting with chloroacetic diethanolamide coconut oil fatty acid hydroxyethylaminoethylamide (2) and by employing chloroacetic polyglycolamide and diethanolamide in processes similar to (3), (6, 7). Chloracetic mono- and diethanolamides are prepared by reacting chloracetic methyl ester with mono- and diethanolamines respectively. Di(hydroxyethyl)-diethylenetriamine and -triethylenetetramine respectively are prepared by reacting diethylene-triamine and triethylenetetramine with ethylene oxide.ALSO:Cosmetic preparations comprise a salt of a derivative of an alkylene polyamine which contains at least one basic nitrogen atom and at least one non-aromatic hydrocarbon radical containing at least 7 carbon atoms and bound to a, preferably tertiary, amino nitrogen atom, at least one residue of the formula <FORM:0883724/VI/1> in which A represents an alkylene residue, B1 represents a hydrogen atom or an hydroxyalkyl or hydroxyalkoxyalkyl group and B2 represents an hydroxyalkyl or hydroxyalkoxyalkyl group (see Group IV (b)) in admixture with an inert diluent, a further detergent, a carrier substance or other ingredient customary in cosmetic preparations. Preparations for washing the hair are described (see Group III).