During the mosquito season it is always good to have
some Afterbite at hand. No matter how careful we are we will be bitten
eventually when sitting in the garden or working there.
Ammonia (NH3) is the chemical component in Afterbite.
Ammonia is a gas that dissolves easily in water and then it is called
Ammonium Hydroxide (NH4OH) but generally people still call it Ammonia. Ammonia can penetrate
the skin. It is not quite clear why exactly Ammonia takes away the itch but experience
shows that it works.
Afterbite itch eraser
The Afterbite itch eraser pen as shown above contains 14ml of 3.5% Ammonia
solution. For the cost of 3 Afterbite pens one can buy a whole bottle
of 10% household Ammonia (NH4OH) and that is equivalent to over 100 Afterbite pens.
A 500ml bottle of household Ammonia
10% household Ammonia has to be mixed with water to get a 3.3% solution.
Take one tee-spoon of 10% household Ammonia and add 2 tee-spoon of water.
The Ammonia should be handled only outside the house or in a well ventilated room.
This diluted household Ammonia solution can be used to refill the Afterbite
pens or you can make your own pen.
Take a small shampoo bottle (as found in hotels) and a piece of a soft
sponge. Clean the shampoo bottle and fill it wit the diluted household Ammonia solution. Close it with a piece of compressed sponge. The sponge will prevent the liquid from coming out at once but you can rub the wet sponge gently
over the spot were the mosquito bit.
A small shampoo bottle from a hotel and a piece of sponge
Home made Afterbite
As a gel
You can not only dilute the household Ammonia with water but you can as well
try to mix it with a gel. Mix one unit of 10% household Ammonia with
two units of Aloe-Vera gel or hand sanitizer gel. Store the gel in
a small jar. Apply a thin layer of gel onto the area where you were
bitten by the mosquito. The gel will give additional relieve by cooling
the skin area.
Warning
Be sure to dilute Ammonia properly and don't use the Afterbite excessively.
Apply it only to a small skin area. Apply it to just the area where the skin is
red from the mosquito bite.
Ammonia is corrosive and toxic in very high concentrations.
