We would all like to recapture our youth, if not eternally at least for a time. While The Fountain may be the stuff of legend, we've created a variety of products designed to accomplish much the same. Anti-aging products ranging from vitamins to wrinkle creams and a host of other concoctions sell at a brisk pace as not just women but men as well try to keep their youthful looks for many years to come.

It doesn't help to look at a picture taken of us in our youth. We see the soft, smooth skin and the cracks, lines, and wrinkles we see in the mirror today are not to be seen in the picture. So we look to the shelves of our grocery store, drug store, or health foods store where we find the anti-aging creams designed to do battle against our laugh lines and crow's feet.

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.

So, why are some wrinkle creams better than the others? The answer is most likely found in the concentration of the active ingredients. A cream might claim to contain retinol, but it could be present in such a small amount that it would be ineffective. On the other hand, a cream with a higher percentage of retinol might well be very capable of refreshing and plumping the skin for that dewy, youthful look.

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.