A government agency is warning people not to use a new tanning spray that is being sold in the UK.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) say that Ubertan Sunless Tanning System is an unlicensed medicine, meaning it is illegal to sell, advertise or supply.

The box has instructions on how to use Ubertan, which involve spraying the product up your nostrils twice a day for 10 to 14 days, however, both the box and bottle do not have an ingredients list.

The website states: “Ubertan is not a fake spray tan and is made from the all natural extract of an Indian tropical plant called the Indian Coleus.”

The MHRA says Ubertan could contain Forskolin, which is derived from Coleus forskohlii, which is not licensed for sale in the UK.

The MHRA is also investigating another form of Ubertan which was found to contain Melanotan II, a type of hormone that increases the levels of the pigment melanin in the body and which is also unlicensed and illegal to sell in the UK.

Claire Tilstone, from the MHRA, is worried that users will suffer serious side effects. She said: “Ubertan or any other nasal tanning spray hasn’t undergone testing to show it’s safe or that it even works.

“At best it’s a waste of money, at worse it can seriously damage your health.