A pharmaceutical or cosmetic carrier or composition for topical application characterized by rheological properties which render the carrier or composition semi-solid at rest and a liquid upon application of shear forces thereto. The composition or carrier are prepared by mixing 1-25 percent of a solidifying agent and 75-99 percent of a hydrophobic solvent, by weight, wherein at least one of them has therapeutic or cosmetic benefits, in the presence or absence of a biologically active substance.