TikTokers Are Going Crazy Over a Tanning Nasal Spray — But Is It Safe?
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I’m an old millennial so one of my greatest shames is that I went to the tanning bed in the early 2000s. But at that time, folks did anything — even risk getting skin cancer — for golden brown skin. Now that we’re much more knowledgeable about the risks, most people opt for one of the dozens of stellar faux tanning products on the market instead. But it seems some are still trying risky products in search of their ideal skin tone. On TikTok, tanning nasal spray has gone viral. Yes, folks are spraying a solution up their nose that promises tan skin. But is it safe to use? And how does it work?
We chatted with New York-based dermatologist, Dr. Whitney Bowe to get to the bottom of this quite concerning trend. “Unfortunately, nasal sprays that promote tanning ‘from within’ simply don’t have enough science demonstrating safety for me to get behind them,” she says. “When you stimulate melanin production, you are basically tickling and stimulating your melanin-producing cells, called melanocytes, to pump out pigment. Theoretically, you could actually overstimulate one of those cells in such a way that it actually encourages a tumor to form, such as melanoma.” Eek!
