A viscosity regulating composition comprising a mixture of (a) a branched polymer having the formula -[(A 1 O)-L 1 -(A 1 O)-R 1] n wherein M is a polybranched hydrophobe derived from a polyhydric alcohol independently selected from the group consisting of: trimethanolpropane, pentaerythritol, erythritol, dipentaerythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, inositol, glycopyranose and mixtures thereof; (A 1 O) is a polyoxyalkylene unit; L 1 is an aliphatic linking segment or an aromatic linking segment; R 1 is an aliphatic unit or an aromatic unit each having 2 to 32 carbon atoms and n ranges from 3 to 6; and (b) a polymer having the formula R 2 -(A 2 O)-L 2 -(A 2 O)-R 2, wherein (A 2 O) is a polyoxyalkylene unit, L 2 is an aliphatic linking segment or an aromatic linking segment, and R 2 is an aliphatic unit or an aromatic unit each having 2 to 32 carbon atoms, wherein (A 1 O) and (A 2 O) each have a formula independently selected from the group consisting of: (ii) -(-EO-) q (-PO-) y (-EO-) z -, where q + z ranges from 50 to 250 and y ranges from 2 to 50; and and are block copolymers; (iii) -(-PO-) q [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y](-EO-) z -, where x + z ranges from 50 to 250 and q + y ranges from 2 to 50; and and of [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] are randomly distributed throughout [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] while PO of (-PO-) q is a block polymer, preferably PO of (-PO-) q is directly linked to either R and/or M; (iv) -(-EO-) q [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y](-PO-) z -, where q + x ranges from 50 to 250 and y + z ranges from 2 to 50; and and of [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] are randomly distributed throughout [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] while PO of (-PO-) z is a block polymer. PO of (-PO-) z is linked to L; or (v) -(-PO-) q [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y](-PO-) z -, where x ranges from 50 to 250 and q + y + z ranges from 4 to 50; and and of [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] are randomly distributed throughout [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] while PO of (-PO-) q and (-PO-) z are block polymers, wherein L 1 andL 2 each have at least two linking groups independently selected from: urethane linking group (O-C(=O)-NH), urea linking group (N -C(=O)-NH), ether linking group (--O--), ester linking group (--C(=O)O--), amine linking group (--NH--), an aminoplast segment, a linking group which is the residue from reaction of an epihalohydrin and a hydroxyl group. (a) a branched polymer having the formula -[(A 1 O)-L 1 -(A 1 O)-R 1] n wherein M is a polybranched hydrophobe derived from a polyhydric alcohol independently selected from the group consisting of: trimethanolpropane, pentaerythritol, erythritol, dipentaerythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, inositol, glycopyranose and mixtures thereof; (A 1 O) is a polyoxyalkylene unit; L 1 is an aliphatic linking segment or an aromatic linking segment; R 1 is an aliphatic unit or an aromatic unit each having 2 to 32 carbon atoms and n ranges from 3 to 6; and (b) a polymer having the formula R 2 -(A 2 O)-L 2 -(A 2 O)-R 2, wherein (A 2 O) is a polyoxyalkylene unit, L 2 is an aliphatic linking segment or an aromatic linking segment, and R 2 is an aliphatic unit or an aromatic unit each having 2 to 32 carbon atoms, (ii) -(-EO-) q (-PO-) y (-EO-) z -, where q + z ranges from 50 to 250 and y ranges from 2 to 50; and and are block copolymers; (iii) -(-PO-) q [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y](-EO-) z -, where x + z ranges from 50 to 250 and q + y ranges from 2 to 50; and and of [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] are randomly distributed throughout [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] while PO of (-PO-) q is a block polymer, preferably PO of (-PO-) q is directly linked to either R and/or M; (iv) -(-EO-) q [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y](-PO-) z -, where q + x ranges from 50 to 250 and y + z ranges from 2 to 50; and and of [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] are randomly distributed throughout [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] while PO of (-PO-) z is a block polymer. PO of (-PO-) z is linked to L; or (v) -(-PO-) q [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y](-PO-) z -, where x ranges from 50 to 250 and q + y + z ranges from 4 to 50; and and of [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] are randomly distributed throughout [(-EO-) x -(-PO-) y] while PO of (-PO-) q and (-PO-) z are block polymers,