Hi,

My first port of call would be Claude Leray's
excellent Cyberlipid website which has many
protocols and references for lipids.

The 'front page' address is :
http://go.to/cyberlipid - which you can then
search and view pages in frames.

Here is a page on the analysis of ceramides :
http://pulsix-w.sdv.fr/cyberlipid/ceramt/cera0001.htm

On another page there is an HPLC chromatogram with details
showing how sphingomyelin was resolved from PE, PS... PI
etc. as a single band.
http://pulsix-w.sdv.fr/cyberlipid/phlipt/pl40004.htm

For general interest purposes, there are a few links
at the egroups site :
http://www.egroups.com/links/lipids/
Scroll down and click on 'Types of Lipids' and then
on 'Ceramides'.

Next, I'd visit The Lipid Analysis Unit at:
http://www.lipid.co.uk
and search their library of articles for sphingomyelin
and ceramides - both words crop up in this page which
is a selection of references of phospholipid analysis :
http://www.lipid.co.uk/infores/lit_surv.html

Also, I might get in touch with cosmetic companies
and ask for assistance as they certainly use ceramides
in such products (it is often used as a selling point !).

Hope that helps
Jo
p.s. if you find any other useful ceramide sites that
you think should be on the links page, tell me and I'll
add them, or feel free to add them yourself.