Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2009
May 10, 2013
May 07, 2010
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]          
Deductible for product liability insurance $ 15,000,000hlf_DeductibleForProductLiabilityInsurance        
Surety bond through insurance company to guarantee payment of tax assessment 20,900,000hlf_SuretyBondThroughInsuranceCompanyToGuaranteePaymentOfTaxAssessment        
Other assets 147,900,000us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent 152,800,000us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent      
Terms of settlement agreement Under the terms of the settlement, the Company would (i) pay $15 million into a fund to be distributed to qualified claimants and (ii) accept up to a maximum amount of $2.5 million in product returns from qualified claimants. The court granted preliminary approval of the settlement on December 2, 2014 and conditionally certified a class. The final approval hearing is set for May 11, 2015.        
Bostick,et al., v. Herbalife Int'l of Am., Inc., et al. [Member]          
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]          
Payment to qualified claimants (15,000,000)us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= hlf_BostickvHerbalifeIntlOfAmIncEtalMember 		       
Amount of product returns from qualified claimants 2,500,000hlf_MaximumAcceptableAmountInProductReturnsFromQualifiedClaimants
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= hlf_BostickvHerbalifeIntlOfAmIncEtalMember 		       
Escrow account 15,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireOtherProductiveAssets
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= hlf_BostickvHerbalifeIntlOfAmIncEtalMember 		       
Federal Revenue Office of Brazil [Member]          
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]          
Tax assessment received relating to withholding/contributions to Company's Members during 2004     2,600,000hlf_TaxAssessmentReceivedRelatingToWithholdingContributionsFromCompanysMembers
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_BR 		   
Mexican Tax Administration Service [Member]          
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]          
Assessment amount from tax administration service       19,000,000hlf_AdministrativeAssessmentAmountFromTaxAdministrationService
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis
= us-gaap_MexicanTaxAuthorityMember 		75,000,000hlf_AdministrativeAssessmentAmountFromTaxAdministrationService
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis
= us-gaap_MexicanTaxAuthorityMember
Other assets 54,100,000us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis
= us-gaap_MexicanTaxAuthorityMember 		       
Loss related to other assets 0us-gaap_LossContingencyLossInPeriod
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis
= us-gaap_MexicanTaxAuthorityMember 		       
Brazilian ICMS [Member]          
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]          
Other assets 14,100,000us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis
= hlf_BrazilianIcmsMember 		       
Loss related to other assets $ 0us-gaap_LossContingencyLossInPeriod
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis
= hlf_BrazilianIcmsMember