Properties of matter such as temperature and microscopic structure determine the wavelength of light that matter absorbs. White light, from the Sun for example, contains light of all wavelengths which are each either absorbed or reflected at an object's surface. Unabsorbed light is instead reflected, and it is this reflected light that reaches our retina (minus any absorbed wavelengths). Human skin absorbs light of such a wavelength that the remaining light mixture appears pale in some, and darker in others (thanks to the varying concentration of the pigment melanin in the skin). Hope this helped. Very nice article too, @kelvanis.
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