With the weather change coming up, beautiful things are arriving. Left and right, you can find warm coffee acceptable for consumption at any time, football season, scary movies, and sweater weather.

However, cold and flu season is among us, people! Falling ill can be inevitable, and, as a seasoned cold-sufferer myself, I can say that there are few things more miserable than drowning in congestion, discomfort, and make-up schoolwork. Beyond antibiotics, there are many products, though, that really work to make a nasty cold just a little more tolerable. The following products are tried-and-true, all easily purchasable at your local pharmacy, and definite must-haves during fall and winter to get you back up on your feet.

1. Halls Defense Vitamin C Supplement Drops   

First and foremost, protect yourself before a cold can strike! By popping one of these supplement drops of vitamin C everyday, you are preparing your immune system to fight viruses, making you less likely to fall ill at all. Vitamin C supplements are available in a pill form, (also available at Walgreens) but those are definitely less enjoyable to eat. These lozenges taste just like candy, as they come in orange, lemon, and grapefruit flavor. They also come in Pomegranate-Berry and Watermelon. Plus, the Halls wrappers have motivational phrases on them, which sounds like a great way to start your morning, to me. Pick a pack of these up at Walgreens for $2.19.

2. Walgreens Cough Drops

There are countless brands of cough drops, some of which taste better, but are not helpful, others of which taste toxic, but do an excellent job. The ever-underrated Walgreens cough drop strikes that perfect balance of taste and effectiveness. With 7.5mg of menthol per drop, just one is powerful enough to sooth the worst of throats and suppress cough. My personal favorite is the honey lemon flavor. They also come sugar-free! Be careful not to eat too many, though; it won’t be necessary. Each pack is $1.69.

3. Puffs plus Lotion Facial Tissues 

With colds come the inevitable never-ending faucets we call runny noses. Having a pack of tissues goes a long way, but do not settle for any brand. When a nose is wiped too frequently and roughly with dry tissues, they can get raw, chapped, and split. To prevent this, go for a brand of tissues embedded with unscented lotion, and treat your nose to a soft touch.  Pick up a box for $1.69 at Walgreens. (Photo courtesy of Walgreens)

4. Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

Lips are the first to be affected when a cold comes. They will dry out very easily and painfully split, so a solid brand of lip balm is important and helpful for all. Plus, carrying lip balm around everyday, not just sick days, is a good habit. My personal favorites are the Burt’s Bees lip balms, which come in a variety of unique flavors, like Coconut and Pear, Pink Grapefruit, Mango, and Pomegranate. For even extra conditioning, the Kokum Butter flavor works wonders. Not only do they smell and taste lovely, they work the best, in my varied experience, at rejuvenating chapped lips. The organic ingredients make for the perfect brand of lip balm to save your dying lips. A 4-pack of variety flavors can be bought for $10.49; a single tube goes for $3.19.

(Burt’s Bees also makes a ton of other organic, high-quality products for anyone and everyone to use, so check those out, too!)

5. R&R

When school starts, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress and sacrifice sleep and healthy habits. This tendency is basically inviting a cold to invade your body. Really, the best way to both prevent and handle being sick is sleeping well, exercising, and feeding the right kinds of food into your body. When you find yourself with sick symptoms, do not stress. Drink plenty of fluids, and, most importantly, rest! Nothing can replace a good sleep-session, not even the strongest of medicines or cough drops.

These five products are the most helpful on the market when it comes to over-the-counter sick remedies. A quick round through Walgreens and $20 is enough to buy all of them, and you will thank yourself for helping bolster your body as much as possible as it prepares to brave the cold and flu seasons.

Stay healthy and rest up, so you can enjoy the beauty of fall and winter firsthand, not under the covers!