PURPOSE: To obtain a solid cosmetic having excellent spreadability and adhesivity to the skin, giving finished skin free from powdery feeling, exhibiting good moldability, resistant to caking and having high moistness and stability by compounding a water-soluble partially deacetylated chitin having a specific deacetylation ratio.

CONSTITUTION: The objective skin cosmetic is produced by compounding 1-60wt.% of a water-soluble partially deacetylated chitin having a deacetylation ratio of 40-60% and expressed by formula (m is ratio of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residue to total residues and is 0.4-0.6). Since the compound of formula is weakly acidic and soluble in water, it does not form powdery residve on the skin and gives a solid cosmetic having good extensibility and spreadability, free from powdery feeling and rough feeling and giving extremely good feeling to the skin when compounded to a solid cosmetic. The compound of formula can be produced by hydrolyzing natural chitin with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide of 5-50% concentration in homogeneous system at ≤50°C.