The itch-relief liquid from After Bite Advanced in a different applicator. Active ingredient: sodium bicarbonate 5%.

After Bite is straightforward about this: X-Tech is the Advanced formula with a patented applicator that applies pressure to the bite as you treat it. The liquid is the same. You are buying the applicator.

Pressure on a fresh bite is an old trick and a sound one — firm pressure for a few seconds does more for the urge to scratch than most of what you can put on top of it. This applies the medicine and the pressure in one motion, which is the only reason anyone actually does both.

Works on mosquitoes, biting flies, bees and fire ants.

If you just want the liquid in the cheapest form, buy the Advanced pen instead. If scratching is the real problem — and with children it usually is — this is the better tool.

After Bite says its products are for children two years and older, and to ask a doctor for a child under two.

After Bite sells three different things under one name, and the packaging does not make it obvious. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate 5%) is the gentle one — Advanced, X-Tech and the Kids cream. Diphenhydramine 2% is an antihistamine, which is stronger and carries real warnings — Outdoor and Xtra. Camphor is the botanical one — the Natural Stick. Pick the mechanism, then pick the applicator.

Ingredients and warnings here are taken from After Bite's published label information. Read the carton before you use it — the carton is the authority, not us.