Structural elements analogous to liposomes , which differ chemically from them in the composition of the shell material (sphingolipids). Sphingolipids are not derived from glycerol like phospholipids (in liposomes) but from sphingosine (C18-amino-alcohol) or from a sphingosine derivative (e.g. phytosphingosine).
The second building block of a sphingosome are fatty acids which are bound as amides via amino groups. Sphingosomes are used in skin care products (e.g. for sebostatic and seborrhoeic skin).