ist Magazine May 2022

Industry Watchdog

Tanning onTikTok By Joe Schuster

T ikTok. What a great pretty much addicted to watching these videos. I have one friend from college who throws a TikTok at me whenever we have an online political discussion. (I typically assume that’s when I’ve got leverage in the chat.) What evs. So, I thought I’d check it out to maybe find a grin or two. Found it! As I swiped up on a couple videos, I found one that featured some women trying out something called “nasal tanning spray.” The hook was set, and I checked out several that featured young women; I assume there are some fellas out there who are also sampling these products as well, but I did not confirm that on this research path. Of the TikTok videos I watched on the subject, I could not confirm seeing labels on any bottles that listed ingre- dients of these nasal tanning sprays. distraction for those with time on their hands. Or for those who want to be entertained, or enjoy a good laugh, or all of the above. My whole family (sans me, of course) is

Apparently the pursuit of a “quick tan” throws all health concerns to the wind. “So you say it’ll make me tan overnight? Gimme that sprayer and let me have a hit!” Geez Louise! What in tarnation is in those bottles, anyway? I did a little more research and found that many contained a sub- stance called melanotan or melano- tan II, which is a synthetic mela- notropic peptide not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and according to Dr. Anand N. Rajpara, a dermatologist at the University of Kansas Health System, not approved for human use. It can be administered either by injection or by inhalation through the nose, and it stimulates our skin’s melanocytes to produce the darkening pigment we know as melanin. Well okay, but does this stuff have any side effects? Among the known possibilities are facial flushing, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal symptoms includ- ing diarrhea and vomiting, and sexual arousal disturbance. (That last one had to catch your eye, or is it just me?) Yep, it apparently

has a positive effect on erectile dysfunction. So, if I read this right: after using this product I could feel extremely passionate, but may also have to hit the bathroom to address one or two issues/functions. Um, that’s a solid NOPE from me! When working on my columns for IST, I very seldom need to conceal what I’m typing from my wife; how- ever, this may be a first. “Just writing my article for the magazine, honey … ya know, in the name of science.” Again – these questionable products had no ingredient label, no FDA approval and can cause a host of pos- sible negative side effects (maybe one positive, LOL). I say everyone should entrust the pursuit of cosmetic tan- ning to professional indoor tanning salons, where operators offer an array of UV and/or sunless products for use under strictly controlled guidelines. In other words, keep it outta your nose and leave it to the pros! 

Team IST searches for erroneous, suspect or negative reporting by the media that adversely impacts the tanning industry. Reports such as these have plagued tanning businesses for decades. Although the media sources will seldom admit a falsehood and print a retraction, IST offers these well-crafted responses to the negative reports that can be shared with your customers and potential customers, alike.

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May 2022