Fountain of youth: New skin products can't do miracles, but they might help.

Byline: Felicia Cousart Matlosz

Jul. 27--The search for the Fountain of Youth is, pardon the phrase, as old as time. After all, legend has it that Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon was trying to find it when he discovered Florida in 1513.

But modern explorers determined to delay the effects of age on their faces don't have far to go. The "fountain" can be as close as the local drugstore or department store. The problem is that today's hunt is more like a maze -- hundreds of anti-aging facial products line shelves and cosmetic counters like liquor bottles in a supermarket.

And it also depends on what the modern-day explorer wants. Are deep wrinkles the issue? That's beyond what these products can do; in such cases, botox, other fillers or cosmetic surgery likely will have to be considered. But if the issues are more like fine lines and dull skin well, there could be some help for them. It's a matter of knowing what to look for. Some companies have a sense of humor about all this. The cosmetic line Philosophy has a product called "hope and a prayer," a topical vitamin C powder that can be used alone or mixed with a customer's favorite product. And then there's…