Homemade Afterbite (anti-itch salve for mosquito bites)
 I do not always remember to put mosquito repellent on the boys every time they step outside, so we inevitably have some mosquito bites around here. After Bite has been a lifesaver this summer. Unfortunately, however, I left ours at the lake on our recent trip and didn’t want to make a special trip to the store. So we made our own homemade afterbite (based on the ingredients listed)! Much to my surprise, this stuff really does work! It has been used and approved by everyone in the household as a remedy for helping to ease the irritating itch of a pesky mosquito bite. :)  Here’s what you’ll need:  baking soda, tea tree oil, and water.
 1. Mix baking soda and water until it is the preferred consistency. I used 5 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of water.
2. Add a few drops of tea tree oil to the mixture (I used 1/8 teaspoon and it is a little bit too strong). Store in a closed container.
 
 3. Rub a little bit of the salve onto your child’s mosquito bites to help relieve the itch!
 Â
 And there you have it! Be sure to check out our homemade mosquito spray as well!
   Â
We’ve ended up with a whole load of mosquitos in our new pond and have been using baking soda but love the idea of using tea tree oil
We’ve also used a baking soda paste to cool the sting from fire ant bites too! I love the idea of adding tea tree oil and pre-mixing it too!
Just found your blog through Pinterest and I love it :-) I was wondering, how long do you think this paste lasts in a sealed container? Thank you!
Yay! So glad you found us! :) Since this was a recipe I made up myself, I am honestly not sure. I would guess a month or two…maybe longer? I’m sorry I’m not of more help! The good news is that once you have the tea tree oil, it is a cinch to mix up.
Does it have to go in the fridge?
I do not have tea tree oil. Any alternative to tea tree oil? What about vinegar?
The original After Bite formula is mostly ammonia with a little baking soda. What really makes the product effective is the applicator. So, when my After Bite pen runs dry, I take a pair of needle nosed pliers and gently pry off the soft tip of the pen. Then mix 1/8 tsp baking soda in 1/2 oz ammonia until it dissolves, pour it into the pen, and pop the tip back in. Cheap & effective.