UPPER MERION >> When you spot a chic label with a “made in France” imprint do you automatically instill the product with a certain “je ne sais quoi” and plunk down your money without giving it a second thought?
You’re not alone.
According to a recent report by Business France, nearly 90 percent of U.S. consumers say they think products made in France are “high quality.”
H2O at Home was founded in France in 1997 by Guillaume Leymonerie based on the notion that non-toxic products that are environmentally harmless can do the job of cleaning your home more effectively and safely than chemical-laden products.
Anchored by high-tech microfibers called chiffonnettes that can get rid of dirt using only water, the company — originally christened H2O — soon developed a full line of natural home care and organic personal care, expanding to the U.S. under the farsightedness of Frenchman Damien Douchet.
“I had taken an MBA class with the founder and we became friends. Eventually we decided we should bring this very successful European business to the U.S. and blend the best of both worlds, so I moved my family here in 2009,” said Douchet, now COO of the U.S. Division for the King of Prussia-based company. “Starting with the very simple but powerful concept that you could clean with water only, we realized down the road that from a brand perspective H2O was not the best name. In people’s minds their home is the safest place on earth, so we wanted to (identify) with that in letting them know that our products were simple and safe. We believe that people’s homes should be their retreat and the safest, most enjoyable place to be. Cleaning with traditional products that contain chemicals can compromise a family’s health and threaten the environment. H2O at Home makes it easy for people to clean effectively and naturally. We find that once someone discovers our new way of ‘healthy’ cleaning, they never look back.”
And so H2O at Home was born, noted Douchet, who explained that the business has taken the direct sales approach in building its strong following.
More than 100 all-natural products, packaged with an unmistakable European sensibility and ranging from home cleaning to skin care (including cream cleansers, cleansing shower oil, hydrating serum, anti-aging serum) to home fragrances, are sold by independent representatives called advisors, Douchet noted.
“We believe the best way to learn about and experience our products is through an experienced H2O at Home advisor. We have everything from very part time to full time, depending how much time people want to invest in the opportunity,” he said. “It’s very flexible; they set their own hours. We work very closely with our advisors as far as training and presentation of our products. They can explain our products very well to a potential customer to see what will work best for them. Our role in King of Prussia is to provide support to our advisors so that they can do a good job in bringing the product to the customer and providing an exceptional level of customer service. But in the end the advisors are the ones handling their relationships with the customers.”
Currently, H2O at Home is represented in more than 20 states in the country, Douchet said.
A visit to the website, us.h2o-at-home.com, will put you in touch with a local advisor, who can set up a one-on-one consultation or a home show.
“The home show is the best way to let the customer experience the products that we have to offer. If the customer wants to invite some friends and neighbors, the advisor can come and do a show for them and the person hosting will receive rewards as a ‘thank you,’ ” Douchet explained.
H2Oat Home products, which are never tested on animals, are voluntarily submitted to independent third-party European certifiers.
“We submit to a wide array of labels and certifications that demand the highest ecological and quality standards. Customers in the U.S. appreciate that because there is no such standard in the U.S. The products that are sold in big box stores, you don’t see the ingredients because there are no standards.,” Douchet noted. “This level of transparency with our products and seeing that they are certified by a third party creates a very strong trust for consumers in our product.”
