Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes - Reconciliation between Provision for Income Taxes at Statutory Rate and Provision for Income Taxes at Effective Tax Rate (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Income Taxes - Reconciliation between Provision for Income Taxes at Statutory Rate and Provision for Income Taxes at Effective Tax Rate (Detail) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]      
Tax expense at United States statutory rate $ 147.4us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate $ 250.9us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate $ 227.8us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Increase (decrease) in tax resulting from:      
Differences between U.S. and foreign tax rates on foreign income, including withholding taxes (60.0)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential (82.1)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential (97.9)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
U.S. tax (benefit) on foreign income net of foreign tax credits (73.4)hlf_IncomeTaxReconciliationDomesticTaxBenefitOnForeignIncomeNetOfForeignTaxCredits (4.7)hlf_IncomeTaxReconciliationDomesticTaxBenefitOnForeignIncomeNetOfForeignTaxCredits 1.8hlf_IncomeTaxReconciliationDomesticTaxBenefitOnForeignIncomeNetOfForeignTaxCredits
Increase in valuation allowances 85.7us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 36.7us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 40.2us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
State taxes, net of federal benefit 4.1us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes 5.7us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes 7.3us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes
Unrecognized tax benefits 13.0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxContingencies (10.3)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxContingencies 6.6us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxContingencies
Other (4.2)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments (7.0)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments 1.1us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Total $ 112.6us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 189.2us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 186.9us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit