The present invention provides an external composition for skin that has excellent effects in improving elasticity and alleviating wrinkles while moisturizing the skin, has good spreadability on the skin, and has no stickiness. The external composition for skin of the present invention is characterized by comprising: (A) an acrylic polymer comprising the following monomers (a1), (a2), and (a3) as constituent monomers: (a1) acrylic acid or methacrylic acid; (a2) an alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate; and (a3) an ester between acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and polyoxyethylene alkyl ether; and (B) a cross-linked polyamino acid or its salt. In the external composition for skin of the present invention, it is preferable that (A) is 0.01 to 10.0 weight % as a polymer, and (B) is 0.0001 to 5.0 weight % as a polymer.