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Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards $ 726,200,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards   $ 726,200,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards      
Valuation allowance 1,208,600,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance   1,208,600,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 783,400,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance    
Foreign tax credit carryforwards 617,700,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsForeign   617,700,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsForeign 585,400,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsForeign    
Additional provision for income taxes for no longer asserting indefinite reinvestment   168,300,000avp_AdditionalProvisionForIncomeTaxesForNoLongerAssertingIndefiniteReinvestment        
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Undistributed Foreign Earnings 14,300,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings 224,800,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings 14,300,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings 142,800,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings 224,800,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings  
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries 1,900,000,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries 3,100,000,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries 1,900,000,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries   3,100,000,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries  
Change in deferred tax liability associated with undistributed earnings     128,500,000avp_Changeindeferredtaxliabilityassociatedwithundistributedearnings      
Net increase (decrease) in valuation allowance 383,500,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount   425,200,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount      
U.S. tax cost on foreign earnings     (3,500,000)avp_USTaxCostOnForeignEarnings 9,900,000avp_USTaxCostOnForeignEarnings 156,800,000avp_USTaxCostOnForeignEarnings  
FCPA Settlement, Tax Benefit 18,500,000avp_FCPASettlementTaxBenefit          
Foreign tax loss carryforwards 2,486,200,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards   2,486,200,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards      
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Subject to Expiration 177,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsSubjectToExpiration   177,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsSubjectToExpiration      
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Not Subject to Expiration 2,309,200,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsNotSubjectToExpiration   2,309,200,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsNotSubjectToExpiration      
Minimum tax credit carryforwards 39,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax   39,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax      
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, General Business 18,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsGeneralBusiness   18,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsGeneralBusiness      
Total gross unrecognized tax benefits 58,700,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 36,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 58,700,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 28,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 36,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 36,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate 33,600,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate   33,600,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate      
Accrued interest and penalties 4,900,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued   4,900,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued 4,400,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued    
Expense for interest and penalties     1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense (100,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense (1,100,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense  
Significant Change in Unrecognized Tax Benefits is Reasonably Possible, Estimated Range of Change, Lower Bound 1,000,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeLowerBound   1,000,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeLowerBound      
Significant Change in Unrecognized Tax Benefits is Reasonably Possible, Estimated Range of Change, Upper Bound 18,000,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeUpperBound   18,000,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeUpperBound      
Foreign [Member]            
Valuation allowance 717,900,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember		   717,900,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember		      
Beginning [Member]            
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates     Jan. 01, 2015      
Capital Loss Carryforwards Expiration Date     Jan. 01, 2021      
Beginning [Member] | Foreign [Member]            
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Date     Jan. 01, 2018      
Ending [Member]            
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates     Dec. 31, 2029      
Capital Loss Carryforwards Expiration Date     Dec. 31, 2034      
Ending [Member] | Foreign [Member]            
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Date     Dec. 31, 2024      
United States [Member]            
Net increase (decrease) in valuation allowance 441,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= country_US		          
Valuation Allowance, Amount Recorded to Income Statement 367,000,000avp_ValuationAllowanceAmountRecordedtoIncomeStatement
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= country_US		          
DOJ [Member] | FCPA [Member]            
Litigation Settlement, Amount     68,000,000us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount
/ us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis
= avp_DOJMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= avp_FCPAMember		      
SEC [Member] | FCPA [Member]            
Litigation Settlement, Amount     $ 67,000,000us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount
/ us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis
= avp_SECMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= avp_FCPAMember