The Irish Cancer Society is calling on the Government to look at ways to eliminate the use of nasal tanners.
Nasal tanners contain Melanotan 2, a synthetic hormone said to stimulate melanin production to darken the skin, often in combination with sunbed use. This product is untested, unapproved and unsafe with reported side effects including nausea, high blood pressure, muscle tremors, mole development, vision loss and even stroke.
Cancer Prevention Manager at the Irish Cancer Society, Kevin O'Hagan, told RTÉ News that "sunbeds and nasal tanners go hand in hand".
In July, the Government launched a public consultation to examine a proposed ban on commercial sunbed use. With skin cancer the most common cancer in Ireland, Mr O'Hagan said nasal tanners must also be considered in any move toward an outright sunbed ban.
The products are widely promoted on social media, where videos of young people advertising or using nasal sprays are common. Many are marketed in flashy colours, sweet flavourings and labelled with homemade branding.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has warned against the advertisement of these products online, saying it removes content it deems a "significant risk to public health".
Between January 2025 and June 2025, the HPRA has removed 372 social media pages, eCommerce listings and websites linked to the product.
Influencer Shannon Mitchell, who has 300k followers on TikTok, stopped using sunbeds and nasal tanners three years ago after she noticed moles developing on her skin.
"I had no idea what I was putting into my body," she told RTÉ News.
She described promotion of nasal tanning products online as irresponsible.
"To promote this to other people when you have no idea what’s actually in these nasal tanners is very careless," Shannon told RTÉ News.
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