Patent ID: 8216190

Claim:
A method for reducing the barrier properties of skin, the method comprising: (a) providing a microstructure having a substrate and comprising a plurality of non-rigid, wedge, arcuate shaped microelements that protrude from said substrate by at least one predetermined protrusion distance, wherein the plurality of microelements are formed on the substrate in an array along a plurality of concentric circles and (b) placing and rubbing the microstructure on skin, in which said rubbing motion occurs in an arcuate direction that is substantially parallel to a surface of said skin, wherein said rubbing motion causes said wedge, arcuate-shaped microelements to penetrate a stratum corneum layer of said skin, and wherein said at least one predetermined protrusion distance is sufficient so that many of said plurality of microelements penetrate a stratum corneum layer of said skin.