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We've all heard of the Fountain of Youth - that mythical spring that grants eternally supple limbs, dewy skin, and vibrant hair to all who drink from it. Unfortunately, such a fountain is only the stuff of legends, or it certainly would have been drained by now!

Although the Fountain is nowhere to be found, we still seem determined to hold on to or recapture our youthful looks. Witness the wealth of products selling briskly on the market, vitamins, anti-aging creams, tonics and a host of other items. We hope that the right combination will give us back the youthful skin and glowing complexions of our youth.

One of the hallmarks of youth is soft, smooth, moisturized skin that is free of laugh lines and creases. Since wrinkles have come to be viewed as one of the 'dead giveaways' of a person's age, manufacturers have developed many varieties of anti-aging moisturizers to launch an all-out attack on encroaching crow's feet.

Some consumers eagerly try a number of the products which claim to satisfy our search for youthful skin. Others, most consumers perhaps, are more cautious. The ingredients of many products are well known, but many are not and how they will react with our skin is an unknown. Like the Fountain of Youth, if a product really was "the" solution, it would probably be impossible to keep it stocked on the shelves. So how do you know what, if anything, is best for you?

An active ingredient such as retinol, a form of vitamin A, is the basic active ingredient for many wrinkle creams and retinol- based creams are indeed often more effective in the battle against wrinkles than is the case for other products. Retinol promotes the development of new surface cells and also increases the amount of collagen in the skin, the combination reducing though not completely eliminating, wrinkles.

Another ingredient that is popular in anti-aging moisturizers is alpha hydroxy acid, or AHAs. AHAs are the active ingredient in chemical peels, but the concentration in anti-aging cream is very low, resulting in only a slight peeling effect. The use of AHAs in wrinkle creams effects a glow to the skin by exposing the new cells underneath.

The mere presence of one or both of these active ingredients does not answer the question of which product is better. The degree of concentration of the active ingredients is much more likely to determine the effectiveness. A product with a higher concentration of retinol may be much more effective in producing a more youthful look than a product containing only a small amount of retinol.

Asking the question leads to gaining the facts you are after. Asking "Which wrinkle cream is best?" leads you to doing some investigating. The result may not be as good as the Fountain of Youth would provide but may still be the best choice available.