The sorption and rate of permeation of propranolol hydrochloride were measured as a function of drug concentration in the solution bathing rat skin in vitro. The sorption isotherm was nonlinear, and can be expressed in Langmuir form. The lag time and apparent permeability coefficient through intact skin decreased as the concentration of donor compartment increased, and those through stripped skin were not varied. These results indicate that an adsorption process existed when propranolol hydrochloride penetrated through the stratum corneum. Based on the adsorption--diffusion theory, a mathematical formula was developed for expressing the relationship between the concentration of drug and permeability coefficient through the skin quantitatively.