What colour is white skin?

Question

Every colour has a name but what is the proper name for white peoples skin. Because it isn't actually white is it. Its not a racist question but it has baffled me since I did gcse art at secondary school

Answer 1

When you have to describe the colour of white skin in terms of clothes, etc. you refer to "flesh colour". White skin isn't uniform in colour. Some people (some type of Celt, for instance) have very white skin which freckles rather than tans when exposed to the sun. Other people with white skin tan quite readily. In most cases, the colour on the inside of the wrists is very pale, while more exposed parts of the body are somewhat darker as the result of sun and wind. Some people will have red noses as the result of poor circulation. All these permutations are included in the description "white skinned".

The Spanish word for what we would term olive skinned people is "trigueño", meaning wheat-coloured. Although it refers to a darker shade of skin, perhaps it is more descriptive of white skin than the word "white".

Answer 2

Human skin is all just different shades of brown and black. The cause of the pinkish color is oxygenated blood, near the skin surface.
The only pigment in human skin is melanin. Lack of melanin is the cause of albinos. Melanin is released by melanocytes when they are exposed to UV light. This is what explains the tanning of skin when a person is out in the sun.
The only truly white people are albinos.

Answer 3

some people are actually white; ever seen an albino? some scandanavians are pretty much lacking in colour, too.
human skin gets its colour from melanin; a pigment which is found in all humans to a greater or lesser degree. personally, I consider myself piggy pink, but some of my freckles are downright black. darker skinned folks just have more melanin than I do; other than that, our skin is the same

Answer 4

The pinkish colour varies, it all depends on pigmintation in your skin. And may I just say - I do hate it when someone asks a question and someone answeres with an essay! I really cant be bothered to read an answere that long! sorry.

Answer 5

Non-white certainly; pink-ish, brownish... sometimes freckly... Check out 'white' skin against a colour chart - it certainly isn't white and varies from one individual to another (including in relation to age, lifestyle and health).

Answer 6

I saw a great t-shirt once. It said:

When you are embarrassed you turn red.
When you are sick you go green.
When you are cold you turn blue.
And you have the cheek to call me coloured!

Obviously it was meant to be worn by a non-white person, and me being a whiter shade of pale I could only wish that I could wear it and have it make sense.

Answer 7

I just stripped off with a Dulux colour-card in my hand.

Bits of me are sort of beigey/pinky and bits of me are sort of bluey, with red-blotches, then I have brownish/reddish nipples, a rather grubby coloured browny-reddy undercarriage, very attractively puce feet, redish lips (and other bits), and then there's a lovely pure white scar on my leg where a dog bit me.

Good God! I'm multi-coloured!

Answer 8

Not sure but if you mix red, white and yellow poster paint it is about there,

In my case my skin is just the colour of my foundation! lol

Answer 9

Hi,im a red head my skin is very pale with freckles.I am usually classed has fair skinned.

Answer 10

It's a kind of nude colour...I don't know actually. I wouldn't say pink - maybe a little pink mixed with some beige lol