UV radiation from the sun to which the skin is exposed is largely UVA. UVA is oxidative in nature and may generate redox-active labile iron within skin cells, inducing severe damage through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and leading to skin photoaging and cancer. Light-activated caged iron chelators (CICs) are compounds that become active when exposed to environmentally relevant doses of UVA, releasing a potent iron-trapping agent or chelator, and providing UVA dose-dependent protection from harmful labile iron.