Rutin, one of the major flavonoids found in an assortment of plants, was reported to act as a sun protection factor booster with high anti-UVA defense, antioxidant, antiaging, and anticellulite, by improvement of the cutaneous microcirculation. This research work aimed at evaluating the rutin in vitro release from semisolid systems, in vertical diffusion cells, containing urea, isopropanol and propylene glycol, associated or not, according to the factorial design with two levels with center point. Urea (alone and in association with isopropanol and propylene glycol) and isopropanol (alone and in association with propylene glycol) influenced significant and negatively rutin liberation in diverse parameters: flux (microg/cm(2).h); apparent permeability coefficient (cm/h); rutin amount released (microg/cm(2)); and liberation enhancement factor. In accordance with the results, the presence of propylene glycol 5.0% (wt/wt) presented statistically favorable to promote rutin release from this semisolid system with flux = 105.12 +/- 8.59 microg/cm(2).h; apparent permeability coefficient = 7.01 +/- 0.572 cm/h; rutin amount released = 648.80 +/- 53.01 microg/cm(2); and liberation enhancement factor = 1.21 +/- 0.07.