Fair Value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value on a Recurring Basis [Member]
Financial Assets (Liabilities) [Abstract]
Cash equivalents and current investments	$ 50,307	$ 47,121
Other long term assets	2,782
Forward contracts	1,371	485
Life insurance contracts	32,286	27,292
Financial assets (liabilities), net	86,746	74,898
Restricted current investments	10,900	14,400
Fair Value on a Recurring Basis [Member] \| Level 1 [Member]
Financial Assets (Liabilities) [Abstract]
Cash equivalents and current investments	50,307	47,121
Other long term assets	2,782
Forward contracts	0	0
Life insurance contracts	0	0
Financial assets (liabilities), net	53,089	47,121
Fair Value on a Recurring Basis [Member] \| Level 2 [Member]
Financial Assets (Liabilities) [Abstract]
Cash equivalents and current investments	0	0
Other long term assets	0
Forward contracts	1,371	485
Life insurance contracts	0	0
Financial assets (liabilities), net	1,371	485
Fair Value on a Recurring Basis [Member] \| Level 3 [Member]
Financial Assets (Liabilities) [Abstract]
Cash equivalents and current investments	0	0
Other long term assets	0
Forward contracts	0	0
Life insurance contracts	32,286	27,292
Financial assets (liabilities), net	32,286	27,292
Insurance Company Contracts [Member]
Changes in Fair Value of Level 3 Marketable Securities [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	27,292	26,280
Actual Return on Plan Assets [Abstract]
Relating to assets still held at the reporting date	2,196	(1,597)
Purchases and issuances	3,051	3,025
Sales and settlements	(252)	(416)
Transfers into Level 3	0	0
Ending balance	$ 32,287	$ 27,292

No definition available.

Name:	nus_ActualReturnOnPlanAssetsLisaFixAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	nus_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of cash equivalents with banks or financial institutions and current investments, including trading securities, available-for-sale securities, held-to-maturity securities, and short-term investments classified as other and current.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nus_CashEquivalentsAndCurrentInvestmentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	nus_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of purchases and issuances of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nus_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetPurchasesAndIssuances
Namespace Prefix:	nus_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of sale and settlement of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nus_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetSalesAndSettlements
Namespace Prefix:	nus_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of the amount that could be realized under a life insurance contract or contracts owned by the entity, commonly known as corporate-owned life insurance (COLI) or bank-owned life insurance (BOLI).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash Surrender Value
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507153

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssetsMeasuredOnRecurringBasisUnobservableInputReconciliationCalculationRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) recognized in the income statement for financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetGainLossIncludedInEarnings1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of transfer of financial instrument classified as an asset into level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetTransfersIntoLevel3
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of asset after deduction of liability.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueNetAssetLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueNetAssetLiabilityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of asset contracts related to the exchange of different currencies, including, but not limited to, foreign currency options, forward contracts, and swaps.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyContractAssetFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of other assets.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherAssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate value of all restricted investments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 946
-SubTopic 320
-Section S99
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-12C.9(c))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=50485924&loc=d3e611225-123010

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 946
-SubTopic 320
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-12.6(c))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=50485924&loc=d3e611133-123010

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestrictedInvestmentsAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis=us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis=us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: