No, you don't need the 'Barbie drug' to tan, whatever TikTok says. Here's why melanotan II is so risky 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 longer lasting than 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 longer lasting than Illegal tanning nasal spray not a 'harmless alternative' to sunbaking, says TGA ABC News Can You Use Melanotan Long Term?