Illegal nasal tanning sprays are being sold online for as little as £20, MailOnline can reveal today.
Products branded as containing melanotan-2, an artificial hormone that accelerates tanning, were being openly advertised on the likes of websites like Etsy and Depop.
The substance, which can also come as injections or powders, is banned in some countries, including the UK, US and Australia, because of the serious side effects it can trigger, including kidney damage.
Under British law, it is illegal to sell the hormone. Anyone caught breaking the rules can face up to two years in jail and an unlimited fine.
But it is not illegal to buy the substance, which works by boosting the production of melanin — the pigment which darkens skin.
MailOnline discovered one UK-based seller on Etsy using the site to advertise £25 10mg sprays of the illicit tanning drug melanotan ‘to help with a natural tan’. The ‘handmade’ sprays were the ‘highest quality made in sterile and lab conditions to ensure safety and sterility,’ it said
Another UK-based seller promised ‘a golden sun kissed tan within as little as one week’. The ‘handmade’ nasal spray was available in three separate strengths: ‘double strength’ for £20; ‘triple strength’ at £25 or ‘extreme strength’ for £30
Gyms and salons have also been caught selling it in recent years.
Influencers including Geordie Shore stars Bethan Kershaw and Charlotte Crosby have previously promoted the sprays and injections to their millions of followers as a way to fast-track tanning.
Experts warn that, because they are not regulated, unlicensed melanotan products could contain other harmful chemicals that aren’t listed on the label.
MailOnline discovered one UK-based seller on Etsy advertising £25 10mg sprays of melanotan ‘to help with a natural tan’.
The ‘handmade’ sprays claimed to be the ‘highest quality made in sterile and lab conditions to ensure safety and sterility’, it said.
They were also ‘99.8 per cent purity mixed with 10ml specialist high grade laboratory water’, the seller claimed.
And another UK-based seller promised ‘a golden sun kissed tan within as little as one week’.
The ‘handmade’ spray was sold in ‘double strength’ for £20; ‘triple strength’ at £25 or ‘extreme strength’ for £30.
MailOnline understands nasal tanning sprays are prohibited by the marketplace and it will be removing the listings.
Etsy also told MailOnline it will be working to remove any additional listings for nasal tanning sprays.
Under each product, the website also adds a disclaimer which claims that ‘sellers are responsible for the following applicable laws and regulations’.
This includes ‘properly labelling and disclosing the ingredients of their ingestible products, as applicable’, it said.
The website also states: ‘Etsy assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or contents of seller’s labelling or listing.
‘Always read labels, warnings, directions and other information provided with the product before using it.
‘If you have any questions, or are concerned about potential allergens or other ingredients, message the seller.’
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which polices the safety of medicines used in Britain, has previously branded melanotan ‘dangerous’.
It has also taken action to remove melanotan products from the market for over 10 years.
But it can only take action if a product falls under the definition of a medicine and is not appropriately licensed in the UK.
Between 2011-2021, the watchdog received 13 reports of suspected adverse drug reactions related to melanotan products via its Yellow Card scheme.
Symptoms listed in these reports included nausea, abdominal pain, anxiety, flushing and dizziness.
But using the substance can even result in kidney damage.
And in some cases experts have seen the drug cause the enlargement of moles and freckles which can increase the risk of skin cancer.
Influencers including Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby have previously promoted the sprays and injections to their millions of followers as a way to fast-track tanning
Last year Geordie Shore star, Bethan Kershaw, also told her social media followers she had used sprays from a company called Real Tan
MailOnline found one advert on Depop from a seller in South Lanarkshire, Scotland which promoted the ‘UltraTan Nasal Spray Melanotan2 nasal spray’. It promised a ‘sun kissed tan all year round’ and for ‘£25 per bottle you won’t be disappointed with the results,’ they added
On its website, Depop insists it prohibits the sale of drugs and drugs paraphernalia. But MailOnline found the nasal sprays openly accessible to purchase
In another advert, the seller advertised a ‘Melanotan nasal spray’ for £25 or two bottles for £45
MailOnline also spotted sellers advertising melanotan sprays on online marketplace Depop.
It comes just a year after MailOnline found dangerous tanning injections advertised on the app, as well as needles, used ‘fertility pills’ and bongs.
Nine in 10 users of Depop are typically aged between 16 and 26 — although anyone can open an account from the age of 13.
On its website, Depop insists it prohibits the sale of drugs and drugs paraphernalia.
MailOnline found one advert from a seller in South Lanarkshire, Scotland which promoted the ‘UltraTan Nasal Spray Melanotan2 nasal spray’.
It promised a ‘sun kissed tan all year round’ and for ‘£25 per bottle you won’t be disappointed with the results,’ they added.
In another advert, the seller advertised a ‘Melanotan nasal spray’ for £25 or two bottles for £45.
Depop, which claims to buy and sell ‘the most inspiring and unique things’, is less well-known than its marketplace competitors, such as eBay.
MailOnline understands Depop has now removed the listings after the adverts were brought to their notice by this wesbsite.
The marketplace is conducting a thorough search to ensure appropriate action is taken against listings and sellers that violates its policy, we also understand.
While Depop employs a dedicated trust and safety team to monitor misuse of the platform, it also encourages app users to report any listings that do not meet its guidelines.
MailOnline found other easily accessible websites including ‘TurboTan’ and ‘trutan’ selling melanotan-containing nasal sprays without restriction.
‘Our Melanotan 2 Nasal Spray is the perfect option for customers who hate the idea of needles but want the fabulous results of Melanotan 2,’ trutan wrote on its website.
Meanwhile ‘TurboTan’ offered a ‘turbo-strong’ 10ml bottle for £21.50.
‘Your 10ml nasal spray bottle (60 sprays) contains exactly 10mg of Melanotan 2,’ it said.
‘So one spray per nostril (2 sprays) is equal to about 0.333mg of Melanotan 2.’
Meanwhile ‘TurboTan’ offered a ‘turbo-strong’ 10ml bottle for £21.50. ‘Your 10ml nasal spray bottle (60 sprays) contains exactly 10mg of Melanotan 2,’ it said. ‘So one spray per nostril (2 sprays) is equal to about 0.333mg of Melanotan 2’
TurboTan recommended buyers ‘start with a very low dose’. Their melanotan 2 nasal sprays are available for next day delivery and be purchased with just one click via PayPal
Available to purchase in a click of a button, Tansation’s £24.99 nasal tanner was also formulated with Melanotan 2, ‘providing you with an even and long-lasting tan’
MailOnline also found other easily accessible websites including ‘TurboTan’ and ‘trutan’ selling melanotan-containing nasal sprays without restriction. ‘Our Melanotan 2 Nasal Spray is the perfect option for customers who hate the idea of needles but want the fabulous results of Melanotan 2,’ trutan wrote on its website
Available to purchase in a click of a button, TanSation’s £24.99 nasal tanner was also formulated with Melanotan 2, ‘providing you with an even and long-lasting tan’.
A spokesperson for TanSation told MailOnline today that it ‘predominantly sells in some European countries and the US’.
They added: ‘The UK market is quite diluted by small time players in local shops.
‘We don’t currently live in the UK as it’s not a place to make money anymore.
‘That being said people are going to access what they want to access, it’s 2023. People stopped listening to the government a long time ago.’
Trutan and TurboTan did not respond to MailOnline’s request for comment.
Dr Bav Shergill, of the British Association of Dermatologists, told MailOnline: ‘Melanotan products are rightly illegal to sell in this country.
‘There are many reports on the dangers of injectable melanotan and we would urge people to be equally mindful of the potential health risks of melanotan nasal sprays.
‘Given that these products are not legal to sell in the UK, many people resort to buying them online from abroad.’
He added: ‘As well as the risk of side effects from melanotan products, it is often impossible to be sure of what is in products bought in this way and by extension what it is that you are putting in your body.
‘We understand that there is a huge amount of appearance-related pressure on people to develop a tan.
‘However, the only safe way to develop a tan is to get it out of a bottle from fake tan products.’
Dr Emma Wedgeworth, a consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson also told MailOnline: ‘Worryingly, reports have linked the use of these sprays to changing moles, skin cancers and even kidney damage.
‘They are unlicensed and have not been comprehensively tested or subject to the rigorous clinical standards that medicines usually are.’
She added: ‘As a result, we don’t yet fully understand how harmful these sprays could be and how they may impact on our health.
‘Simply put, we should not be putting potent, unlicensed, potentially harmful chemicals into our body for aesthetic purposes.
‘Fake or self tan products appear to be safe. However, overexposing yourself to the sun or using medicines like melanotan-2 to change your skin colour is likely to damage to your skin, both in the short and long term.’
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