By Vania Raebel | June 21, 2019
The first ever commercial deodorant was introduced in 1888. Prior to that, people just used whatever they could get their hands on in order to mask their smell (like the nosegays we learned about earlier). Apart from the fact that baths were a rare occurrence, people would speak up you if you smelled (at least not to your face).
Mum was the first brand of deodorant and was developed by Edna Murphey in Philadelphia. It was named after the term “mum,” which means “to keep quiet.” The subtle smell killer was originally sold in cream form, and you had to apply it to your underarms with your fingertips.
