An oil-in-water emulsion cosmetic containing (A) to (E) as essential components and having a pH of 6 or less: (A) an L-ascorbyl tetra fatty acid ester derivative represented by the following general formula (I) Formula 1 wherein R represents a branched alkyl fatty acid residue having 8 to 18 carbons; (B) a polar oil which is liquid at 25° C. and having an IOB value of 0.1 to 0.5; (C) a chelating agent; (D) an antioxidant; and (E) water.