Urban Decay's Vegan Palette. Photo courtesy of Urban Decay.

Guest bloggers Andrea Donsky and Randy Boyer are co-founders of NaturallySavvy.com.

Being vegan can be tough if you love cosmetics.

Image: How the World Works critiques The Story of Cosmetics

Lee Doren, at How the World Works, has produced a critique of

Image: Zooboing, via Flickr

Industry associations state their desire to "ensure that existing FDA regulatory oversight is enhanced." Advocate groups for safer cosmetics have started a full push to get the public support for cosmetic safety reform.

Photo Credit: Christy McDonald

Annie Leonard's The Story of Stuff project - a series of succinct animated videos explaining the systemic problems with some everyday items - has been a phenomenal success, reaching millions

Image: Story of Stuff - Cosmetics

Let me start out by saying there are a lot of good people in the chemicals industry and in the cosmetics industry.

Photo: CC, via dicktay2000

Whether they have heard our cries for cleaner perfume, or not, executives and leaders from the world of fragrance believe that

Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt, left to right. Photo: Carolina Crespo, courtesy of No More Dirty Looks.

Image credit: Good

Most beauty products—whether they're natural, organic, or conventional—have some kind of label listing the main ingredients. Understanding what that label means—and how to compare one label to another—is no easy task.

Image credit: Good

Most shampoo consists of about 50 percent water. What's in the other 50 percent or so, however, might surprise you: surfactants, actives, preservatives, color, and fragrance all play a role.

Image credit: Good.is

Aloe vera, green tea, shea butter, and tea tree oil: All common ingredients in all-natural beauty regimens. But are these things really effective? Is there any science to back up the claims?