We describe a face detection algorithm, which characterizes and localizes skin regions and eyes in 2D images using color information and Support Vector Machine. The method is scale-independent, works on images of either frontal, rotated faces, with a single person or group of people, and does not require any manual setting or operator intervention. The algorithm can be used in face image database management systems both as a first step of a person identification, and to discriminate the images on the basis of the number of faces in them.