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Aidan Turner, an Irish actor with an olive complexion.

Olive skin is a human skin tone, roughly corresponding to Types III, IV, and V on the Fitzpatrick scale of pigmentation.[1][2][3][4] The term describes lighter brown tones with greenish, yellowish, or golden undertones, such as the light tan.[5][6][7][8]

People with olive skin can sometimes become paler if their sun exposure is limited. However, olive skin still tans more easily than light skin does, and generally still retains notable greenish or yellowish undertones.[9][10][11]

Olive skin covers III, IV and V on the Fitzpatrick scale.

History

The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that the term “olive” has been used to describe skin color since at least the 17th century. The earliest recorded instance occurs in the writings of the English traveller Thomas Coryat, who said of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, “Hee is of complexion neither white nor blacke, but of a middle betwixt the[m]: I know not how to expresse it with a more expressiue & significant ephitheton then Oliue: an Oliue colour his face presenteth[.]”[12][13]

Geographic distribution

The Amis people, an olive-skinned ethnicity native to the Taiwan Island.

Type III pigmentation is frequent among populations from the Mediterranean region, including Southern Europe, North Africa and West Asia, as well as East Asia, Central Asia, and parts of the Americas.[14][15][3] It can also be common in Western Europe, giving folklore names such as the “Black Irish“,[16] and sporadically in Northern Europe.[17][1][18][19] Type IV pigmentation occurs in the same regions, as well as South Asia and Austronesia.[20][21][17][3][22] Type V pigmentation also occurs in South Asia and Austronesia, and limited regions of Sub-Saharan Africa.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Watson, Ronald Ross (2013). Watson, Ronald Ross (ed.). Handbook of Vitamin D in Human Health: Prevention, Treatment and Toxicity. Human Health Handbooks. Vol. 4. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers. doi:10.3920/978-90-8686-765-3. ISBN 9789086862108. ISSN 2212-375X. S2CID 29719411.
  2. ^ Costello, Declan; Winter, Stuart (2013). Viva Training in ENT: Preparation for the FRCS (ORL-HNS). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 16. ISBN 9780191668944. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Pfenninger, John L. (2001). Dermatologic and Cosmetic Procedures in Office Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 9781437705805.
  4. ^ Mayeaux, E. J. (2015). The Essential Guide to Primary Care Procedures. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 9781496318718.
  5. ^ McCoy, Susan (September 1988). “Your True Colors”. Ski. 53 (1): 266. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  6. ^ Johnson Gross, Kim (1997). Woman’s Face: Skin Care and Makeup. Knopf. ISBN 9780679445784.
  7. ^ Richmond, JoAnne (8 August 2008). Reinvent Yourself with Color Me Beautiful: Four Seasons of Color, Makeup, and Style. Taylor Trade Publications. p. 160. ISBN 9781589794085. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  8. ^ “Redbook”. Redbook Publishing Company. 161: 87. 1983.
  9. ^ Mercola, Joseph (2008). Dark Deception: Discover the Truths About the Benefits of Sunlight Exposure. Thomas Nelson Inc. ISBN 9781418567767. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  10. ^ Trew, Sally (2013). Idiot’s Guides: Making Natural Beauty Products. Penguin. ISBN 9781615645572. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  11. ^ Kidd, Jemma (2013). Jemma Kidd Make-Up Masterclass. Aurum Press. ISBN 9781909342279. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  12. ^ “olive”. Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/OED/6637861479. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  13. ^ Coryat, Thomas (1616). Traveller for the English Wits. W. Jaggard and Henry Featherston. p. 21.
  14. ^ Standard Esthetics: Advanced. Nelson. 2012. ISBN 978-1285401492. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  15. ^ “The Fitzpatrick Skin Type Classification Scale”. Skin Inc. (November 2007). 13 May 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2014.; under Tables – Fitzpatrick Skin Type Classification Scale
  16. ^ “Who were the Black Irish, and what is their story?”. IrishCentral. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  17. ^ a b “Olive Skin Countries 2023”. World Population Review. 2023.
  18. ^ Kontoes, Paraskevas (2017). State of the art in Blepharoplasty: From Surgery to the Avoidance of Complications. Springer. p. 26. ISBN 9783319526423. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  19. ^ Novick, Nelson Lee (1991). Super Skin: A Leading Dermatologist’s Guide to the Latest Breakthrough’s in Skin Care. Crown Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 9780517585337. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  20. ^ Lucas, Robyn; Tony McMichael; Wayne Smith; Bruce Armstrong (2006). Annette Prüss-Üstün; Hajo Zeeb; Colin Mathers; Michael Repacholi (eds.). Solar Ultraviolet Radiation—Global burden of disease from solar UV radiation (PDF) (Report). Environmental Burden of Disease Series no. 13. Geneva: World Health Organization, Public Health and the Environment. p. 13. ISBN 9789241594400. ISSN 1728-1652. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  21. ^ Gates, Clifford E. (1922). “The Polynesians: Caucasians of the Pacific”. The Scientific Monthly. 15 (3): 257–262. Bibcode:1922SciMo..15..257G.
  22. ^ Small, Rebecca (2012). Practical Guide to Chemical Peels, Microdermabrasion & Topical Products. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 21. ISBN 9781451154528. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  23. ^ Relethford, JH (2000). “Human skin color diversity is highest in sub-Saharan African populations”. Human Biology; an International Record of Research. 72 (5): 773–80. PMID 11126724.