No, you don't need the 'Barbie drug' to tan, whatever TikTok says. Here's why melanotan II is so risky Dangerous' tanning products promoted by influencers Your body already makes a hormone that tells your skin to tan. Melanotan 2 is a synthetic peptide engineered to mimic that hormone but in a version that's more potent and Understanding Injection Tan and Melanotan 2 Insights into Tanning Biology and Tanning Products JCAD The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology