Ellen Chat Conversation

Ellen White did not directly address nail polish in her writings, as this cosmetic product wasn't commonly available during her lifetime. However, she wrote extensively about cosmetics and artificial beautification, which provides relevant principles for understanding her perspective on such practices. In her time, Ellen White observed women using various cosmetics to alter their appearance, and she expressed clear concern about this practice. She noted that "ladies may resort to cosmetics to restore the tint of the complexion, but they cannot thus bring back the glow of healthful feelings to the heart. That which darkens and makes dingy the skin also clouds the spirits and destroys cheerfulness and peace of mind" (HL 191.1). Her counsel emphasized that true beauty comes from health and inner peace, not from artificial enhancements. Ellen White also warned about the physical dangers of cosmetics in her era, noting that "many are ignorantly injuring their health and endangering their life by using cosmetics. They are robbing the cheeks of the glow of health, and then to supply the deficiency use cosmetics. When they become heated in the dance the poison is absorbed by the pores of the skin, and is thrown into the blood. Many lives have been sacrificed by this means alone" (HR October 1, 1871, par. 20). While modern cosmetics are generally safer than the toxic compounds of her day, her underlying principle remains: artificial beautification often masks rather than addresses the real issue of health and well-being. Her broader counsel on appearance emphasized modesty and simplicity. She advised that modest colors should be sought forand warned against "a fantastic taste" that shows "vanity and shallow pride" (HL 120.4). This principle of avoiding displays of vanity and pride would apply to any form of adornment, including modern cosmetics like nail polish. Based on her writings about cosmetics and adornment, Ellen White would likely view nail polish through the lens of whether it promotes simplicity and modesty or whether it reflects vanity and a focus on artificial beauty rather than the "glow of health" that comes from right living. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White say about jewelry and adornment? • How did she define true beauty and Christian modesty? • What was her counsel on health practices that promote natural beauty? --- 📚 **thousands of passages found** containing these search terms — [Explore in Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=what+do+you+think+about+nail+polish)