Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2015
VEF
Mar. 31, 2014
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2014
VEF
Dec. 31, 2014
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2013
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2015
Simadi [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2015
Simadi [Member]
VEF
Feb. 12, 2015
Simadi [Member]
VEF
Dec. 31, 2014
SICAD II [Member]
VEF
Mar. 31, 2015
Venezuela [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2014
Venezuela [Member]
Dec. 31, 2014
Venezuela [Member]
Mar. 31, 2015
Venezuela [Member]
Simadi [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2014
Selling, general and administrative expenses [Member]
SICAD I [Member]
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2015
Selling, general and administrative expenses [Member]
Venezuela [Member]
Simadi [Member]
USD ($)
Subsidiary or Equity Method Investee [Line Items]                                
Foreign currency exchange rate, Bolivars per USD               192us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyExchangeRateTranslation1
/ us-gaap_CurrencyAxis
= hlf_SimadiMember
  50us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyExchangeRateTranslation1
/ us-gaap_CurrencyAxis
= hlf_SicadTwoMember
           
SIMADI rate for remeasurement                 170us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyExchangeRateRemeasurement1
/ us-gaap_CurrencyAxis
= hlf_SimadiMember
             
Amount of award received through the SIMADI exchange mechanism             $ 0.1hlf_AmountOfAwardReceivedFromExchangeForExchangeMechanismToRemainLimited
/ us-gaap_CurrencyAxis
= hlf_SimadiMember
                 
Foreign currency transaction losses                             86.1us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_CurrencyAxis
= hlf_SicadOneMember
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpensesMember
32.6us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossBeforeTax
/ us-gaap_CurrencyAxis
= hlf_SimadiMember
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpensesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_VE
Inventory write-downs in cost of sales 4.9us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown   11.0us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown                     1.4us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown
/ us-gaap_CurrencyAxis
= hlf_SimadiMember
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_VE
   
Net monetary Bolivar denominated assets and liabilities                     11.0hlf_NetAssetsLiabilitiesDenominatedInForeignCurrency
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_VE
         
Cash and cash equivalents 715.5us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue   1,261.9us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue   645.4us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 973.0us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue         11.5us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_VE
         
Subsidiary's net sales to Company's consolidated net sales, percentage                     1.00%hlf_PercentageOfConsolidatedNetSalesEarnedFromSubsidiary
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_VE
4.00%hlf_PercentageOfConsolidatedNetSalesEarnedFromSubsidiary
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_VE
       
Subsidiary asset as percentage of consolidated assets                     1.00%hlf_NetAssetsOfSubsidiariesAsPercentageOfConsolidatedNetAssets
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_VE
  2.00%hlf_NetAssetsOfSubsidiariesAsPercentageOfConsolidatedNetAssets
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_VE
     
Purchase price of bonds invested in Bolivar denominated bonds   0us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireAvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebt 3.2us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireAvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebt 20.3us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireAvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebt                        
Amortized cost of bonds 1.1us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis                              
Market value of bonds 0.9us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities                              
Other-than-temporary impairments relating to available-for-sale securities $ 2.3us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNetAvailableforsaleSecurities   $ 3.2us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNetAvailableforsaleSecurities