The invention provides an oil-in-water type cosmetic emulsion which can be applied to the skin without stickiness, and impart resilient and supple feel to the skin, while having good stability without causing viscosity decrease or separation even during a long-term storage. The oil-in-water type cosmetic emulsion comprises (a) a higher alcohol having 14 to 22 carbon atoms, (b) a hydrophilic polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, and (c) a glycerin monoalkyl ether, wherein alkyl moieties in (b) and (c) are linear saturated alkyl chains, and molar concentrations of (a) to (c) satisfy a relation [(b) +.(c)]/(a) = 0.1 to 1.0, and preferably satisfy a relation [(a) + (c)]/(b) = 3 to 20.