A fluid gel obtainable by a process which comprises subjecting a solution comprising a mixture of xanthan and one or more non-gelling polysaccharides selected from galactomannans or glucomannans in a solvent to shear while cooling the solution from a temperature above the gelation temperature of the mixture, and recovering the resulting continuous gel. The gel is useful in cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions where it may, for instance, be generated in situ.