Looksmaxxing influencer Clavicular was recently asked about his use of skin tanning peptides in a recent interview. During the conversation, the interviewer asked him directly about the peptide and how it works.
“So that melanotan thing, that’s a peptide that you inject that increases like…?” the interviewer asked.
“Melanogenesis,” Clavicular replied.
Seeking clarification, the interviewer followed up by asking whether it affects a person’s sensitivity to melanin or their body’s response to it.
“Is it your sensitivity or whatever to, or your melanin sensitivity, which makes you tanner?” the interviewer asked.
“Not your melanin sensitivity, the amount of melanin that you produce. Melanogenesis is what it’s called,” Clavicular explained.
Melanotan II is a synthetic peptide designed to stimulate the body’s natural melanin production, resulting in a darker complexion without requiring direct ultraviolet (UV) exposure. The compound was originally developed through academic research as a potential treatment for certain skin conditions, but it eventually found its way into bodybuilding and fitness communities, where it has been used for cosmetic tanning purposes for years.
The interviewer then asked about the mechanism: “So it’s like tanning with an injection?”
Clavicular emphasized what he sees as one of the compound’s practical benefits, reducing reliance on traditional tanning methods that involve UV exposure.
“It’s good because then you get to reduce your UV exposure, which is a hugely carcinogenic activity to go out and tan, get in a tanning bed, whatever. That causes skin cancer,” he said.
Recently, Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. became the subject of scrutiny over his reported use of a synthetic skin-darkening peptide. The conversation around the peptide intensified after political commentator Kyle Kulinski raised questions about Kennedy’s reported use of the peptide.
“He takes a peptide that makes his skin darker. It’s like a bodybuilder thing that he does. Lord only knows why he does it,” Kulinski said during an episode of his show Secular Talk.
According to Kulinski, Kennedy’s health regimen includes several other controversial interventions.
“He takes testosterone at 70 years old and he thinks human growth hormone is good for you,” Kulinski noted, referencing treatments that remain debated within medical circles, particularly regarding long-term safety and the importance of professional supervision.
Kulinski also described Kennedy as deeply focused on cellular energy and biological optimization.
“He’s obsessed with mitochondria,” he remarked, pointing to what appears to be a central pillar of Kennedy’s personal health philosophy.
Kennedy reportedly also holds favorable views toward nicotine, a stance that places him in direct tension with decades of established public health guidance.
“He thinks nicotine is good for you,” Kulinski observed.
For Kennedy, these personal health choices carry weight given his role overseeing major public health agencies, including the CDC and the FDA. His tenure has been marked by turbulence, including reported staff departures and the resignation of a CDC director after just one month in the position.
