Olive skin is a

human skin colour Human skin color ranges from the darkest brown to the lightest hues. Differences in skin color among individuals is caused by variation in pigmentation, which is the result of genetics (inherited from one's biological parents and or individu ...

spectrum. It is often associated with pigmentation in the Type III to Type IV and Type V ranges of the

Fitzpatrick scale The Fitzpatrick scale (also Fitzpatrick skin typing test; or Fitzpatrick phototyping scale) is a numerical classification schema for human skin color. It was developed in 1975 by American dermatologist Thomas B. Fitzpatrick as a way to estimate th ...

. It generally refers to light or moderate

tan Tan or TAN may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black and Tans, a nickname for British special constables during the Irish War of Independence. By extension "Tans" can now also colloquially refer to English or British people in general, es ...

skin, and it is often described as having yellow, green, or golden undertones. People with olive skin can sometimes become paler if their

sun exposure The ultraviolet radiation in sunlight has both positive and negative health effects, as it is required for the synthesis of vitamin D3 and is a mutagen. A dietary supplement can supply vitamin D without this mutagenic effect, but supplementati ...

is limited. However, lighter olive skin still tans more easily than

light skin Light skin is a human skin color that has a base level of eumelanin pigmentation that has adapted to environments of low UV radiation. Light skin is most commonly found amongst the native populations of Europe and East Asia as measured through s ...

does, and generally still retains notable yellow or greenish undertones. Influence of pigmentation on skin cancer risk

Geographic distribution

Type III pigmentation is frequent among populations from the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

(i.e. Southern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa) as well as some parts of

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

and Asia. It ranges from

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

to darker

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

skin tones.; unde
Tables - Fitzpatrick Skin Type Classification Scale
/ref> This skin type sometimes burns and tans gradually, but always tans. Type IV pigmentation is frequent among some populations from the

Romani people The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sig ...

, as well as parts of Asia and Latin America. It ranges from brownish or darker olive to moderate brown, typical Mediterranean skin tones. This skin type rarely burns and tans easily. Type V pigmentation is frequent among populations from the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

, parts of the Mediterranean and Southern Europe,

, parts of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, Latin America, and the

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

n subcontinent. It ranges from olive to

, Middle Eastern skin tones. This skin type very rarely burns and tans quite easily.

References

{{Skin colors Mediterranean Skin pigmentation

Geographic distribution

See also

References