Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Unrealized excess tax benefits 23,600,000hlf_UnrealizedExcessTaxBenefits 15,400,000hlf_UnrealizedExcessTaxBenefits      
Tax loss and credit carryforwards of certain foreign subsidiaries 88,700,000hlf_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossAndTaxCreditCarryforwardsForeign 29,200,000hlf_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossAndTaxCreditCarryforwardsForeign      
Amount of tax loss and credit carryforwards that will expire between 2015 and 2024 71,400,000hlf_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossAndTaxCreditsCarryforwardsSubjectToExpiration        
Amount of tax loss and credit carryforwards that can be carried forward indefinitely 17,300,000hlf_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossAndTaxCreditsCarryforwardsNotSubjectToExpiration        
Domestic foreign tax credit carryforwards 51,200,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsForeign        
Deferred interest carryforwards of subsidiaries 240,800,000hlf_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredInterestExpense 218,700,000hlf_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredInterestExpense      
Valuation allowance 330,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 247,600,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance      
Valuation allowance, deferred tax asset, change in amount 82,400,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount 38,300,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount 41,200,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount    
Additional charge to income tax expenses 85,700,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 36,700,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 40,200,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance    
Other comprehensive income (loss), foreign currency translation gain (loss) arising during period, tax (3,300,000)hlf_ImpactOfTranslationAdjustmentsOnDeferredTaxValuationAllowance 1,600,000hlf_ImpactOfTranslationAdjustmentsOnDeferredTaxValuationAllowance 1,000,000hlf_ImpactOfTranslationAdjustmentsOnDeferredTaxValuationAllowance    
Unremitted earnings that were permanently reinvested relating to operating subsidiaries 2,300,000,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries        
Deferred tax asset on unremitted foreign earnings 1,000,000hlf_DeferredTaxAssetsUndistributedForeignEarnings        
Deferred tax liability on unremitted foreign earnings   700,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings      
Effective tax rate applied 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate        
Total amount of unrecognized tax benefits, including related interest and penalties 47,200,000hlf_GrossBalanceOfUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncludingInterestAndPenalties 34,600,000hlf_GrossBalanceOfUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncludingInterestAndPenalties 47,100,000hlf_GrossBalanceOfUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncludingInterestAndPenalties    
Unrecognized tax benefits excluding interest and penalties that if recognized would affect the effective tax rate 38,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 28,400,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate      
Total accrued interest for tax contingencies 5,500,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued 3,700,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued      
Total accrued penalties for tax contingencies 1,100,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued 800,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued      
Reversal in interest expense related to uncertain tax positions   1,600,000hlf_ReversalOfIncomeTaxExpenseRelatedToReversalOfInterestOnUncertainTaxPositions      
Reversal in penalty expense related to uncertain tax positions   700,000hlf_ReversalOfIncomeTaxExpenseRelatedToReversalOfPenaltiesOnUncertainTaxPosition      
Increase in interest expense related to uncertain tax positions 1,900,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense   200,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense    
Increase in penalties to uncertain tax positions 300,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesExpense   600,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesExpense    
Amount of unrecognized tax benefits that could decrease within the next 12 months 10,200,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeUpperBound        
Decrease in unrecognized tax benefits due to the settlement of audits or resolution of administrative or judicial proceedings 5,900,000hlf_DecreaseInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDueToSettlementOfAuditsOrResolutionOfAdministrativeOrJudicialProceedings        
Decrease in unrecognized tax benefits expiration of statute of limitations 4,300,000hlf_DecreaseInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsExpirationOfStatuteOfLimitations        
United States [Member]          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Unremitted earnings that were permanently reinvested 104,900,000hlf_UnremittedEarningsThatWerePermanentlyReinvested
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US 		       
China [Member]          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Maximum percentage of tax during holiday period     12.50%hlf_MaximumPercentageOfTaxDuringHolidayPeriod
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_CN 		12.00%hlf_MaximumPercentageOfTaxDuringHolidayPeriod
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_CN 		11.00%hlf_MaximumPercentageOfTaxDuringHolidayPeriod
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_CN
Statutory tax rate 25.00%hlf_StatutoryTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_CN 		25.00%hlf_StatutoryTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_CN 		     
Earliest Tax Year [Member]          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Open tax years by major tax jurisdiction 2010        
Carryforwards expiring in 2021 [Member]          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Unrealized excess tax benefits 4,800,000hlf_UnrealizedExcessTaxBenefits
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= hlf_CarryForwardExpirationYearOneMember 		       
Expiration date of tax credit carryforwards Dec. 31, 2021        
Carryforwards expiring in 2022 [Member]          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Unrealized excess tax benefits 13,000,000hlf_UnrealizedExcessTaxBenefits
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= hlf_CarryForwardExpirationYearTwoMember 		       
Expiration date of tax credit carryforwards Dec. 31, 2022        
Carryforwards expiring in 2024 [Member]          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Unrealized excess tax benefits 5,800,000hlf_UnrealizedExcessTaxBenefits
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= hlf_CarryForwardExpirationYearThreeMember 		       
Expiration date of tax credit carryforwards Dec. 31, 2024        
Domestic foreign tax credit carryforwards 51,200,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsForeign
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= hlf_CarryForwardExpirationYearThreeMember