As I write this, I’m midair, masked up, sanitized, and desperately trying not to catch a cold. Work travel is always insanely busy this time of year, and personal travel is about to ramp up with the holidays just around the corner (what? how?!). I wouldn’t consider myself a hypochondriac, but I also understand how disgusting planes are, and that being around a ton of strangers on a daily basis is essentially like living in a petri dish (NYC charms). Still, I’m endeavoring to stay healthy for the rest of the year—or at least, do everything I can to feel well, no matter where I happen to be traveling in a given week.

Whether you’ve also got a packed travel calendar, are a mom to a toddler—so many germs—or you’re living in a city with public transit that feels more akin to a sardine tin, I highly recommend investing in a handful of health and wellness essentials for cold and flu season. Will they 100 percent guarantee that you won’t get sick? Sigh, I wish!…