Personal care composition

1. An aqueous, shear thinning personal care composition comprising:

(a) at least 3 wt % of a sulfonate compound of general formula:

where

R 1 represents a C 8-22 alkyl group;

R 2 represents a C 1-4 alkyl group; and

each of R 3 , R 4 and R 5 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a C 1-4 alkyl group; and

M + represents a cation;

(b) at least 3 wt % of an amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant;

(c) at least 10 wt % of water;

(d) from about 0.1% to about 50% wt % of an additional component in the form of solid or non-solid water-insoluble particles or droplets suspended in the composition;

(e) an electrolyte present in an amount from 2 wt % to 25 wt %; and

wherein said composition is capable of maintaining said solid or non-solid water-insoluble particles or droplets in suspension without sedimentation or separation over a time period of at least one month, and

wherein the composition does not comprise an additional structurant.

2. The composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein R 2 represents a methyl group.

3. The composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of R 3 , R 4 and R 5 represents a hydrogen atom.

4. The composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein component (a) is present in an amount of up to 30 wt %.

5. The composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein component (b) is present in an amount of up to 30 wt %.

6. The composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein component (c) is present in an amount of from 20% to 95% by total composition weight.

7. The composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein component (d) is present in an amount from at least 0.5 wt %.

8. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said additional component (d) is a benefit agent.

9. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composition further includes a benefit agent.

10. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , formulated as a product selected from the following: a bath or shower gel; a hand washing composition; a facial washing composition; a pre-, during- or post-shaving product; a skin moisturizer; a hair gel; a medicinal skin treatment product; a shampoo; a hair conditioner; a dental product.

11. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electrolyte is present in an amount up to 15 wt %.

12. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electrolyte is present in an amount up to 10 wt %.

13. A personal care composition comprising:

a) a viscous, shear-thinning component consisting essentially of water and

(i) at least 3 wt % of a sulfonate compound of general formula:

where

R 1 represents a C 8-22 alkyl group;

R 2 represents a C 1-4 alkyl group; and

each of R 3 , R 4 and R 5 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a C 1-4 alkyl group; and

M + represents a cation;

ii) at least 3 wt % of an amphoteric and/or zwitterionic surfactant component;

iii) from 2 wt % to 25 wt % of an electrolyte component; and

iv) from about 0.1 wt % to about 50 wt % of an additional component in the form of solid or non-solid water-insoluble particles or droplets suspended in the composition;

wherein said composition maintains said solid or non-solid water-insoluble particles or droplets in suspension without sedimentation or separation over a time period of at least one month, and

wherein the composition does not comprise an additional structurant.

14. The composition as claimed in claim 13 wherein R 2 represents a methyl group.

15. The composition as claimed in claim 14 wherein each of R 3 , R 4 and R 5 represents a hydrogen atom.

16. The composition as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said additional component comprises a benefit agent.

17. The composition as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the composition further comprises a benefit agent.

18. The composition as claimed in claim 13 , formulated as a product selected from the following: a bath or shower gel; a hand washing composition; a facial washing composition; a pre-, during- or post-shaving product; a skin moisturizer; a hair gel; a medicinal skin treatment product; a shampoo; a hair conditioner; a dental product.