Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a topical drug that activates melanin production in the skin, according to a report published by Allure.

“This offers an exciting new option to minimize the risk of skin cancers, especially in very fair skin patients,” Joshua Zeichner, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, told Allure.

The drug is currently in the initial stages of development, but has been shown to up pigment levels in a human skin sample after eight days. While the drug is being developed to increase natural sun protection in fair skinned-patients, it could be highly sought after as an alternative to traditional tanning treatments, which rely on dihydroxyacetone to create a tanning effect.