Viral tanning 'Barbie drug' linked to cancer, experts warn Before you take tanning pills, listen to this! The active ingredient in tanning pills are known as Canthaxanthin, and although this ingredient is approved by the FDA, the high amount of 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 Tanning Pills Dermatologist TikTok