Beauty influencers are taking to TikTok to show themselves snorting sprays that they claim give them a golden tan — but doctors warn the products could be both ineffective and dangerous.
The tanning nasal sprays — many of which are available for sale in the US — all claim to increase the production of melanin in the skin after they are inhaled. Popular British TikTokker @hannahtayy shared a short video to the social media site which showed her using one of the products.
“I mean I’d rather die hot than live ugly,” the beauty influencer lip-synched in the clip, which has been liked more than 130,000 times. “So if this is going to take 10 years off my life, I don’t care. I don’t want to be old anyway, old people are ugly,” the blond continued as she popped the top of the spray and put it up her nostril.
Nasal sprays, which contain an unlicensed compound called Melanotan II, are designed to stimulate melanocytes, which are the cells in your skin that produce pigment. Despite impressing viewers, doctors have warned tanning nasal sprays is dangerous because they aren’t regulated and can have serious side effects.
A TikTok user posting under the handle @MadisonSutton gushed about the tanning nasal sprays working without the use of a sunbed, while another posting under @HannahTayy lip-synced in her clip saying: ‘I’d rather die hot than live ugly, so if this is going to take 10 years off my life I don’t care. ‘I don’t want to be old anyway. Old people are ugly.’ The clips have each racked up thousands of views with commenters admitting they are eager to try tanning nasal sprays for themselves. One person wrote: ‘I’ve never bought something so fast. Can’t wait to try
