Light Blue #ADD8E6

Light blue suggests calm, cleanliness, and openness. Hospitals, dental clinics, and personal care brands use it for that reason, as it feels hygienic without the starkness of pure white. It also tends to read as approachable, like a cool glass of water.

Some languages give it its own basic color word. Russian, for example, has separate basic words for light blue (goluboy) and dark blue (siniy), much as English separates pink from red. Italian uses azzurro in a similar way.

On the world stage, light blue is the color of the United Nations flag and its peacekeepers' helmets, which links it with neutrality, cooperation, and diplomacy. In Britain, 'light blue' is also the traditional sporting name for Cambridge University, opposite Oxford's dark blue.

Light blue works as a background for information panels, help sections, and calm landing pages. Dark text is essential: navy and charcoal read well, while white text barely shows. On a white page it can fade at a distance, so give it a darker blue or gray border or accent.

In interiors, it is a common choice for bedrooms and bathrooms. In fashion, light blue shirts are a menswear staple because they flatter many skin tones and sit comfortably with navy, gray, and tan suits.