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.

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.

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?

It's important to know about the ingredients in various anti-aging creams before purchasing. So, why are some wrinkle creams better than the others? The active ingredient in many wrinkle creams is retinol, which is a form of vitamin A. Retinol is effective in making wrinkles less noticeable, because the skin absorbs the vitamin A and uses it to make new surface cells. It also increases the amount of collagen in the skin, which improves elasticity.

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.