UVA rays, which contribute to tanning, are most associated with aging the skin.
Exposure can promote wrinkling, age spots and loss of elasticity.
For years, sunscreens have blocked UVB rays, the ones that cause skin to burn. This form of ultraviolet light is blamed for causing skin cancer, although researchers believe that UVA may play a role in skin cancer, too. In other words, it absorbs a range of ultraviolet rays instead of only the ones that burn. Parsol 1789 is a big advance in sunscreens, says Neil Fenske, a dermatologist and professor at the University of South Florida School of Medicine. Coppertone won approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market its Shade UVAGuard Sun Block Lotion, with Parsol 1789, in 1993.