Melanotan II
A synthetic copy of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, the body's own pigment signal. People run it for deeper, longer-lasting tanning with less sun, and many notice a strong boost in libido and arousal as a side effect, which is how its cousin PT-141 was discovered.
Where to buy Melanotan II, cheapest first.
Prices from 7 vendors across the market. We link straight to each vendor’s product page and grade vendors on public lab data, so you’re not just chasing the lowest number.
Melanotan II
What Melanotan II actually does.
The simple version first, then a little more for the curious. No biochem degree required.
It switches on the same receptors your body uses to make pigment and to drive arousal, so your skin tans with less sun exposure and many people notice a sharp lift in libido at the same time.
How it works
Melanotan II is a synthetic analog of alpha-MSH. It activates the melanocortin receptors, MC1 through MC5. MC1 in the skin drives melanin production (the tan), while MC3 and MC4 in the brain are tied to sexual arousal and appetite.
Where it acts
It works in two main places at once. In the skin it pushes melanocytes to make more pigment, so you tan faster and darker. In the brain it acts on the same arousal pathways that PT-141 was later built to target more cleanly.
What people notice
People report a deeper tan that builds over a couple of weeks with much less sun, plus a noticeable rise in libido and spontaneous arousal. Nausea and facial flushing are common early on, especially after the first few doses.
Honest caveat: the human data here is thin. Early tanning trials were small, and most of what people rely on is community reports rather than controlled studies. Melanotan II is not an approved medicine anywhere and is sold strictly for research use only. There are real safety concerns, including darkening moles, so this is not medical advice, talk to a licensed provider before starting anything.
How to take it.
Melanotan II is an injection, given subcutaneously into fat with a tiny insulin needle. It isn't an oral peptide, so the injectable form is what people run. The routine is below; for the loading-then-maintenance schedule and timing, see the full guide.
Reconstitute the vial
Add bacteriostatic water down the side of the vial (a 10mg vial + 2mL = 5mg/mL). Let it dissolve. Swirl gently, don't shake.
Draw your dose
On a U-100 insulin syringe, pull to your unit mark. 250mcg at 5mg/mL is just 5 units (0.05mL). Doses are small, so use the calculator if you're unsure.
Pinch and inject
Swab with alcohol, pinch a bit of fat on the belly, insert at 45–90°, push slowly. Many people dose before bed on an empty stomach to sleep through the nausea.
Rotate your sites
Move to a different spot each time so no area gets sore or lumpy. Store the vial in the fridge between doses.
The easiest spots are the belly (about 2 inches either side of the navel), the love handles, the front of the thigh, and the back of the upper arms. Rotate every injection.
Don't do the math, let the calculator do it.
This is Melanotan II's typical setup, already worked out. Change any value and the draw updates instantly.
Typical Melanotan II dose: a loading phase of about 250mcg once daily for two to three weeks until you reach the tan you want, then a maintenance dose of 250mcg to 500mcg once or twice a week. Total daily intake is usually kept at or below 1mg.
How to cycle Melanotan II.
How long people run Melanotan II, when to take a break, and the honest reasoning behind it.
Load to your target tan, then maintain.
A cycle just means a defined run of time on the peptide, followed by a break. For Melanotan II the common pattern is a loading phase of two to three weeks to build the tan, then a light weekly maintenance dose, then time off once you stop wanting the tan, rather than running it indefinitely.
Why not just run it forever? Mostly because the long-term human safety data does not exist, and there are real concerns around moles and pigment changes. The cautious approach is to run a focused block, watch your skin, then stop.
- Start low at around 250mcg and only build up once you know how the nausea hits you.
- Step down to maintenance once you have the tan, moving to once or twice weekly rather than staying daily.
- Take a real break after a cycle, and keep an eye on your moles. Any changing, growing, or odd-looking spot is a reason to see a dermatologist, not to keep dosing.
Want the full picture, on and off periods, the washout, stacking, and keeping your results? Read how peptide cycling works →
What's actually in the vial.
For 4 of these vendors we link the per-batch certificate itself (a specific lab report, COA PDF, or certificate image), and the purity below is read straight off that certificate. The rest link to the vendor's general lab-results page. We don't run the labs ourselves and we don't show a purity number unless it's printed on a certificate we link, so you can open the document and check it against the batch yourself.
| Vendor | Purity (per COA) | Batch / report | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| EZ Peptides | 99.759% | EZP-MEL21005032026-06 | Janoshik report ↗ |
| Onyx Biolabs | 99.886% | MT2-2026-0320 | View COA ↗ |
| Pure Rawz | 99.7% | PRWZ-062 | View COA ↗ |
| Midwest Peptide | 99.126% | MPMT2001 | View COA ↗ |
| Next Gen Peptides | see lab page | not shown | Lab results ↗ |
| Penguin Peptides | see lab page | not shown | Lab results ↗ |
| Swiss Chems | see lab page | not shown | Lab results ↗ |
What people pair it with.
Melanotan II is usually run on its own, but a few combinations come up. Be aware that pairing it with PT-141 is redundant, since both hit the same receptors.
Pigment plus arousal
Most people run Melanotan II solo. It already covers both the tanning and the libido angle through the same melanocortin receptors, so a single peptide does the work of two.
View stack →Arousal, cleaner
If the goal is purely sexual and you don't want the tan or the moles, PT-141 was engineered from Melanotan II to target arousal more selectively. Running both together is redundant, not synergistic, so people pick one.
View stack →Pigment, milder
Melanotan I (afamelanotide) is the slower, more selective tanning cousin with fewer arousal and nausea effects. People who want the tan without the libido jolt sometimes choose it instead.
View stack →In the same corner.
Other melanocortin and sexual-health peptides people compare against Melanotan II.
Questions, answered straight.
Is Melanotan II legal?
Melanotan II isn't an approved drug, and it isn't sold for human use. The FDA has acted against companies marketing it as an injectable tanning product. The vendors we compare offer it strictly for research use only. It's also prohibited in competitive sport. Rules vary by country, so check what applies where you are.
What does research use only actually mean?
It means the product is sold for laboratory and research purposes, not as a supplement or medicine for people. It hasn't been reviewed or approved for human use by the FDA. We aggregate prices and public lab data so you can see the landscape; what you do with that is between you and a licensed provider.
Why does it cause nausea and flushing?
Both come from activating melanocortin receptors. Nausea is very common in the first week or two, often peaking a few hours after a dose, and facial flushing is typical too. People manage it by starting low, around 250mcg, and dosing before bed on an empty stomach.
Does it really darken moles?
Yes, this is a real concern. Melanotan II can darken existing moles and freckles and may bring out new ones, because it drives pigment everywhere. Anyone with lots of moles, a family history of skin cancer, or changing spots should see a dermatologist and is widely advised to avoid it.
How is it different from PT-141?
PT-141 (bremelanotide) was engineered from Melanotan II to target the arousal receptors more selectively, with little tanning effect, and it's FDA-approved for low sexual desire in women. Melanotan II hits all five melanocortin receptors, so it tans and boosts libido but also brings more side effects. Running both is redundant.