Emerging Threat: Melanotan, Repackaging, and Online ...

Despite continued regulatory action and potentially dangerous health effects, a social media trend promoting Melanotan II — an illicit tanning drug — continues to prevail in the market. LegitScript has observed that in an attempt to skirt account termination and regulatory scrutiny, merchants commonly attempt to disguise their activities with generic packaging and vague marketing, presenting consumer safety risks as well as elevated risk for card brand fines and regulatory scrutiny for payment service providers.

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How Does Melanotan II Work and Why is it Trendy?

Melanotan II is a peptide or protein-based drug that acts as a synthetic version of a hormone called α-MSH, which regulates the skin cells responsible for producing pigment. When Melanotan II is injected or used as a nasal spray (its two common forms), it mimics α-MSH, and can cause dramatic skin darkening within days. This melanin-increasing function is its most notorious, but the drug has several other—potentially dangerous—effects and has been reported to cause heart, blood, and eye disorders, among other conditions.

Melanotan’s rapid skin-darkening effect has made it a desirable “shortcut” product for those hoping to achieve the golden, tanned skin that remains a popular symbol of beauty and health. In recent years, Melanotan II has made a particular splash online; a 2022 BBC article calls attention to dozens of influencers promoting the nasal spray to millions of followers on TikTok. LegitScript has noted a correlated increase in merchants marketing nasal tanning products via social media, often with generic, self-branded packaging. Due to the high level of risk associated with Melanotan II, LegitScript is keeping a close watch on the trends and marketing strategies connected with it.

The Dangers of an Illegal and Unregulated Product

Melanotan II was initially developed and touted as a cancer preventative but has since been the subject of bans, warning letters, and even criminal prosecution in multiple jurisdictions. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the drug for any indication, and regulatory agencies of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, among others, have also deemed it illegal to sell.

Users of the nasal spray form of the drug have reported side effects such as headaches, dizziness, panic attacks, nausea, vomiting, facial flushing, unusual moles, and more. It has also been linked to cases of melanoma (3, 4, 6, 8). Aside from the dangers of Melanotan II alone, consumers risk exposure to any number of mystery ingredients. The BBC describes the findings of research chemists at Imperial College London who analyzed 10 tanning kits, “[t]hey would expect to find about 10 ingredients in a licensed medicine,” they write, “but were shocked to discover some of the products contained more than 100 unidentified ingredients.” In attempts to avoid detection and stay in business, sellers of nasal tanning spray often offer little-to-no information about their products’ contents.

How Marketers of Melanotan II Attempt to Fly Under the Radar

Despite its notable health risks, melanotan’s popularity has not waned. Its regulatory status has not halted demand either. TikTok has taken measures to mitigate the dangerous trend by removing videos promoting or selling Melanotan II and nasal tanning spray, as well as banning hashtags including #nasaltanningspray, #melanotan, and #melanotan2. However, as LegitScript has previously noted with the unapproved drug Apetamin, many sellers have simply adjusted their marketing in order to avoid scrutiny.

Between 2017-2021, the melanotan-related merchants encountered by LegitScript were almost exclusively reported with the BRAM and VIRP actions, indicating that these merchants were blatantly marketing the banned product. In recent years, however, LegitScript analysts have increasingly used the Suspected Transaction Laundering action in order to note the risk presented by bad actors who avoid the term “melanotan” while marketing generically packaged nasal tanning sprays that bear striking resemblance to the drug. Analysts have learned to look for the following common characteristics that indicate a merchant’s tanning product may be repackaged Melanotan II:

• The products may appear in generic plastic containers without apparent safety seals.
• The products may display overly simplistic and unprofessional-looking labels. They may be self-branded with the merchant’s logo, or display no label at all.
• The products typically lack an ingredients list and often have a sparse product description.
• The marketing may describe the application and purpose commonly associated with Melanotan II (e.g. “nasal” language, references to tanning “strengths”).
• The marketing may include images of individuals with deeply tanned skin, stark tan lines, and before-and-after skin comparisons.
• The marketing may refer to the products as “MT2” or simply “2,” common abbreviations for Melanotan II.
• The product packaging may mimic the form factors of those known to contain Melanotan II (e.g. small bottles with nasal spray caps).

LegitScript Analysts Continuously Adapt to Detect Risk

As regulatory and media scrutiny has increased, many merchants have continued to sell illegal products, attempting to fade into the shadows and avoid consequences. However, their detection remains imperative to the well-being of consumers and the safety of the internet and payment ecosystems. LegitScript has paid close attention to the shifting online presence of Melanotan II and nasal tanning sprays, learning common marketing strategies and allowing analysts to identify nuanced risk factors that may be missed by measures such as social media tag bans. LegitScript analysts continue to vigilantly monitor and report any risk associated with Melanotan II.

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Melanotan II-containing tanning products, sold as injections or nasal sprays, are dangerous to health. Maria Maglionico/EyeEm/Getty Images

• Some social media influencers have been promoting tanning products containing an illegal hormone called “melanotan II.”
• Research has linked melanotan II to conditions including skin cancer and kidney infarction.
• Experts say that people should avoid unregulated tanning products, and regulators should do more to raise public awareness about their dangers.

Some social media influencers have recently been promoting tanning products containing melanotan II, an illegal artificial hormone that can accelerate tanning. These products come in the form of injections and nasal sprays.

Authorities in multiple countries have issued safety warnings surrounding melanotan II’s use due to its link to conditions such as skin cancer and kidney infarction.

To understand more about melanotan II, Medical News Today spoke with four experts about the risks of using the hormone, what regulators could do to prevent its usage, and safe alternatives.

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Preventing use

When asked what regulators could do to prevent people from using melanotan II, Dr. Faraz said “[t]here needs to be increased awareness regarding the potential harms of using melanotan, especially for the youth who may be subject to misinformation.”

“Social media and other popular news and media outlets need to do more to stamp out false or misleading content [while] allowing experts to disseminate scientifically-accurate information,” he added.

“More studies and case reports are necessary to ascertain long-term unknown harms and side-effects. People wanting to consider tanning options should do so by discussing options with a dermatologist,” he explained.

MNT also spoke with Prof. Tony Cass, professor of chemical biology at Imperial College London, the U.K., who was involved in a recent analysis of 10 tanning kits.

While Prof. Cass and his colleagues expected to find around 10 ingredients in a licensed medication, they were shocked to discover that some of the products analyzed contained over 100 unidentified ingredients, alongside melanotan II.

“With unregulated/ illegal products, the label has no information, and as our analysis showed there were many other constituents, [and] there is no way for the consumer to find out what these are,” Prof. Cass told MNT. “Regulation is very difficult in this case, especially as internet influencer-based promotion is in any case difficult to control.”

“Making consumers aware may help, although as we see with smoking, even lurid warnings don’t necessarily work. Internet companies […] could use AI [artificial intelligence software] to put a warning on the screen, but I’m not sure they have the will to do so,” he added.

Safe ways to tan

“We already know about the damaging effects of chronic sun exposure, including skin cancers and premature aging. Therefore, this method of tanning should always be avoided,” Dr. Ali emphasized.

“‘Sunless tanning’ options are the safest to consider in the long-term which include spray-on bronzers and stainers. One should always consult a dermatologist to discuss potential risks, side effects, and benefits prior to embarking on any new treatments.”

– Dr. Faraz Mahmood Ali

Dr. Rajpara agreed that spray-on options could be an alternative:

“Sunless tanners and sprays containing DHA (dihydroxyacetone) are generally considered safe as long as you are avoiding inhalation and eye contact. However, they offer zero sun protection, so sunscreen is still a must.”

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