If you’ve ever read the label on the package of any sort of processed food, you’ve undoubtedly encountered a whole host of unpronounceable, unrecognizable chemicals–so it’s really no surprise that discussions about organic practices, GMOs, and the current state of our food production/distribution system have been building steam over the past several years.

But in these increasingly health-and-environment-conscious times, consumers are growing more concerned not just with what they put in their bodies, but also what they put on their bodies. Chances are, the label on your shampoo bottle is just as unsettling as the label on your cereal box. With this in mind, several specialty lines of self-care products like Origins, Murad and others have taken full advantage of the trend toward natural ingredients, building their brands by boasting about the ingredients not included in their products.

Now, Johnson & Johnson, which makes a wide range of personal care products including everything from its famous baby shampoo to familiar drugstore brands like Neutrogena, Aveeno, and Clean & Clear, has announced that it will be phasing out harmful chemicals from its products by 2015, and from several of its baby products by 2013.

Read more

For the most part, it’s women who come out in full force to support efforts to raise awareness about breast cancer during the month of October. This year, a topless Peter Shankman appears among a series of portraits of female bloggers in support of this month’s Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Pledge campaign.

“I don’t take my shirt off for anything,” said Shankman. But when Estee Lauder came looking for bloggers for the campaign, he decided to do it.  “It showed that this is not just a disease that affects women. It affects men who get the disease as well as the women that men love. ”

Portraits of the other 10 bloggers are available on the BCA Pledge Facebook page and website.