Mum was the first brand of commercial deodorant. Containing a zinc compound as its active ingredient, it was developed in Philadelphia in 1888.^[1] According to the manufacturer's web-site, "The MUM brand owes its name to a nurse of the inventor, who was nicknamed "Mum".^[2]. Another source claims that the brand was named after the term "mum" from the phrase "Mum's the word", meaning to keep silent.^[1] Mum was originally sold as a cream in a jar and applied with the fingertips. The small company was bought by Bristol-Myers in 1931.

In the late 1940s, an employee (Helen Diserens) developed an applicator based on the newly invented ball-point pen.^[1] In 1952, the company began marketing the product under the name Ban Roll-On.^[1] In 1958, the product was launched in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations as Mum Rollette.^[1]

The product was briefly withdrawn from the market in the United States,^{[when?][why?][1]} but is again widely available.^[3]

It is popular in Australia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Venezuela. In the Philippines, it was sold in the 1970s and 1980s but has since been withdrawn.^{[citation needed]}

Ban is now owned by Kao Corporation.^{[citation needed]}

In the UK Mum is made by Dendron Ltd,^[4] under license from The Procter & Gamble Co.^[5]