The stratum corneum layer of the skin acts as a barrier between the body and the external environment. This is achieved by corneocytes encased in a lamellar lipid matrix, which provides the only continuous pathway through the barrier. Skin diseases occur primarily due to alterations in the lipid matrix, which in turn compromises the lipid packing and the barrier capability. One common alteration is a decrease in lateral packing density, which can encourage lipids to rearrange and adopt different conformations, thus an additional factor that affects the barrier function. In this experiment we will identify the position of both ceramide carbon chains, when in the highly dense arrangement seen in healthy skin, and in the lesser dense arrangement that is found at higher concentrations in diseased skin. The results will provide information on the differences between healthy and diseased skin.