Considering this illegal nasal spray to boost your tan? Don't

Stick to spraying your body

As Australia’s obsession with tanning rages on, people are turning to nasal sprays as a ‘safer’ way to tan. Experts say there’s nothing safe about them.

Despite receiving lectures from our parents since we were kids, many Australians still dream of a golden tan. Whether a result of advertising and fashion, our idealism of beach lifestyles, the belief that a tan makes us look thinner and more toned, or something else entirely, many of us struggle to love our skin when it’s not at its darkest.

And though we’re spoiled for choice with shelves and shelves of fake tans available at most supermarkets, chemists and beauty stores, many are still chasing a natural suntan. 

But not everyone’s blessed with high levels of melanin, and some people are taking dangerous routes to try to boost their chances of getting a darker tan naturally. From tanning oils to solariums – and perhaps more concerningly, nasal sprays.

What are tanning nasal sprays?

Popular on social media, tanning nasal sprays promise a natural tan without the need for hours in the sun. 

The TGA's chief medical adviser Professor Robyn Langham told the ABC they contain ‘Melanotan-II, molecules which mimic the body's natural hormones that control how our cells express pigment’. Melanotan-II has a multitude of side effects, and isn’t approved by the TGA.

Manufacturers of the products claim all you need is a daily spray up each nostril for two weeks, followed by reduced doses and “a very minimal amount of sun” to get a better tan.

What are tanning nasal sprays? Image: iStock

Mismarketed as a safer way to get a tan, many of these sprays are labelled with very few side effects, if any. One brand only lists ‘loss of appetite’ as a possible adverse reaction. 

A Queensland woman who had used one of the sprays told the ABC “It looks harmless. It also comes in other flavours, grape, watermelon, pineapple, mango.” 

Reminiscent of vapes attracting young people with unintimidating fun flavours, she said “It literally tastes like a lolly when you spray it up your nose."

But Langham says "Nasal tanning sprays are not the harmless alternative to a tan that some of the illegal advertising is claiming they are”.

But Langham says "Nasal tanning sprays are not the harmless alternative to a tan that some of the illegal advertising is claiming they are”. Image: iStock

What are the side effects of tanning nasal sprays?

While many people say they did see results after using the sprays, they may be getting more than just a tan.

The expert said "the way the specific molecules work, they attach to receptors in the brain, and because of that, there can be some neurological side effects as well."

She listed “nausea and vomiting and some facial flushing” as the most common.

People using the sprays have said they experienced changes to their skin including acne and more freckles, while the TGA says users can get new moles, or see the moles they already have change in size and pigmentation.

As per the ABC, ‘There have also been rare cases of kidney failure and brain swelling linked to the use of melanotans.’

Most worryingly, the TGA says the perceived ‘safe’ alternative to tanning in the sun can still put users at risk of skin cancers including melanoma. 

Most worryingly, the TGA says the perceived ‘safe’ alternative to tanning in the sun can still put users at risk of skin cancers including melanoma. Image: iStock

In the country with the highest rates of melanoma in the world, where at least 2 in 3 people will be diagnosed with skin cancer, we really don't need another thing to increase cases.

Regardless of the many ads we see on tv telling us to slip, slop, slap, seek and slide, decades of lectures from our parents, and seeing a heartbreaking amount of loved ones battle skin cancer, Australia can’t seem to move away from its obsession with being tanned. 

Even the most health-obsessed will tell you they can’t wear certain outfits without a tan, or won’t go to important events if they’re looking pale. 

It’s not uncommon to hear a friend who’s terrified of aging preach about wearing SPF on her face everyday, before telling you she’s going to go lay in the sun for five hours without a drop of sunscreen anywhere else on her body. 

Tanning has its claws firmly in Australian culture – and while we all need to work on loving our own skin, if you’re still determined to be as bronzed as possible, experts say fake is always best.

Originally published as Considering this illegal nasal spray to boost your tan? Don't