1. You can hide helper columns (and it will be better to place them at end of table).

2. Instead of helper columns you can use dynamical names. You select the row in table, create an new name, and set its source like the formula you used in helper column FOR THIS ROW. Now when you insert into some column for checking a formula = MyDynamicalName, for every row the name must return a value proper for this row. There is a caveat - Conditional Format doesn't understand anything about names. So you must have one helper column anyway, where you calculate a result value based on all names - then you can use the values in this column for your conditional format.

And Merry Christmas for you too!