We've all heard of that mythical spring, a drink from which gives you glowing skin, glossy hair, youthfull strength and flexibility - The Fountain of Youth. If such a fountain existed, it would likely have long ago been drained and bottled.

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.

We look in the mirror and take careful note of the crow's feet, laugh lines, worry lines, wrinkles and creases that we've been collecting over the years. Like rings on a tree, these lines and creases serve to highlight the fact that we are getting older. It doesn't help to look at a picture taken of us at a young age in which none of these signs were visible. A steady stream of anti-aging moisturizers have entered the marketplace, "guaranteed" to do effective battle against the dreaded crows feet and other signs.

Of course, consumers are frequently dubious of any product that makes such claims, and with good reason. What are these magic ingredients, and how do they work? Can anyone really bottle the freshness of teenaged skin? How can you tell which is the best wrinkle cream?

There are several things you can look for. Retinol, a form of vitamin A is the active ingredient in many anti-aging products. Retinol promotes the production of new surface cells as the skin absorbs vitamin A and also increases the amount of collagen in the skin. The net result is more elasticity in the skin and a reduction in the severity of wrinkles. Wrinkle creams based on retinol are often more effective than non-retinol based creams.

Reduction of wrinkles is one step towards achieving more youthful skin. Another popular active ingredient is alpha hydroxy acid - AHA. AHA is a peeling agent. It is present in a very low concentration to avoid damage to the skin, AHA removes the dead skin cells at the surface, exposing new cells beneath. The result is the adding of a glow that we associate with youthful skin.

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.