Abstract: The present invention relates to anti-microbial cosmetic compositions for the care of the human body or parts thereof, comprising derivatives of histatins or fragments thereof. It has been found that the anti-microbial activity of histatins or their fragments can be significantly enhanced by capping them at the C-terminus or at the C- and N-terminus and/or complexing them with anti-microbially-active metal ions. The thus modified histatins and histatin fragments were found to have a significantly increased activity against a range of microbial strains, and were found to be useful as controlled delivery agents for the metal ions. They are suitable for a whole range of anti-microbial applications, such as anti-plaque, and-caries, anti-bad breath oral applications, deodorant applications, personal hygiene applications and so on, for which they are included in any suitable carrier medium. Preferred are the capped derivatives, which have been complexed with Ag, Cu, Zn or Sn.