Self-Care Products that Disinfect and Protect from Germs

The variants! The germs! Just when you thought it was safe to emerge from your bubble and go back in the water! (And onto the airplane. And over to the foreign country. And across state lines to grandma's.)

Though you're vaxxed and boosted, you're still feeling a little anxious about the unseen dangers that may be lurking everywhere. Here are a few products that you can slather, smooth, swipe, and sip to help you feel a little more protected, inside and out. No matter where you fall along the OCD/clean freak spectrum. (No judgments.)

Clean Hands

You're still washing your hands and disinfecting like a banshee, and that's not letting up anytime soon. Why not add a shot of indulgence to the procedure and ensure your hands stay a little healthier and less lizard-y? Paume (French for "palm) only makes high-quality hand-care products. The Essentials Kit consists of a moisturizing antibacterial gel (17 oz, or 500 uses), an 8-oz. dispenser pump, and a 3-oz. travel size ($72). Exfoliating Hand Cleanser scrubs away the nasties ($22). Probiotic Hand Balm is made with essential oils that help restore the moisture that sanitizers strip away ($22). Bonus: Paume bottles are made primarily from previously recycled plastic.

Clean Mouth and Nose

Ministry of Supply 3D prints their masks, ensuring minimal waste. The ear loops are fabric and not elastic, ensuring for a better fit. You can insert a filter to add extra protection, and when you buy two masks, you get the third free using the code MASK. ($18)

Clean Phone (with Charger)

That handheld spends an awful lot of time around your mouth and nose. Do you know where it's been? PhoneSoaps's top-rated sanitizer fits and charges most phones (iPhone and Samsung, even the big ones), using UV-C lights to kill 99.99% of bacteria and germs. Note, however, that this does not include coronavirus. Just lots of other cooties. You can use this to disinfect anything else that fits inside, like keys, earbuds, electric toothbrush, and so on. ($79.95)

And Now for a Special Drinking Water Trifecta

You've spent two years mastering masking and breathing to make sure nothing unwanted passes your lips.

Drinking is a whole other level of difficulty. Here are a few water bottles that will help you feel better about what you ingest.

Clean Body: Self-Cleaning UV Water Bottle

The only downside of refillable water bottles is cleaning them. It's not easy. Larq to the rescue, with a full line of self-cleaning water bottles that use UV-C lights to kill the bacteria lying in wait within. Sure, you might feel a little silly plugging your water bottle into a micro USB — seriously, is anything safe from digital interference anymore? — but every charge lasts a month, and that two-tone design sure is stylish. ($118)

Clean Body: Alkaline Water

Your doctor may tell you there's no scientific evidence that drinking alkaline water has antioxidant properties that fight inflammation and ease digestion, but if you think it's improving your body's pH levels, DYLN makes a refillable bottle for you. ($39.99)

Clean Body: Capsule Water Purifiers

Let's say you want to go a step beyond drinking alkaline water from a high-tech disinfected water bottle. And that you hate the waste generated by disposable plastic and glass bottles. Here's your next-level gadget: A tiny portable ceramic capsule made from positively charged diatomaceous earth that will attract, neutralize, and purify impurities in any tap water it comes near. Feel-good factor: According to Go Pure's home page, "each Pod purifies 264 gallons of water, eliminating 2,000 disposable plastic water bottles." ($24.95)

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