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 What is Melanotan II, the drug that consumers are urged to avoid? Viral 'Barbie drug' for tanning can cause brain swelling and even cancer, experts warn Tanning peptides like melanotan are trending online, but they're not approved, not regulated, and illegal to advertise in Australia. When products haven't been properly tested, there's no way to know what's actually Melanotan What It Is and Its Relation to Skin Cancer