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 Melanotan What It Is and Its Relation to Skin Cancer No, you don't need the 'Barbie drug' to tan, whatever TikTok says. Here's why melanotan II is so risky Risks of Melanotan: TGA to issue fresh warning against 'Barbie drug' The Australian Who's tan is reay for summer. This peptide can help.