Purchase of the Remaining Interest in Stepan Philippines, Inc	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity Method Investments And Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Purchase of the Remaining Interest in Stepan Philippines, Inc	23. Purchase of the Remaining Interest in Stepan Philippines, Inc On March 22, 2012, the Company purchased the remaining interest in Stepan Philippines, Inc. (SPI), increasing the Company’s ownership share from 88.8 percent to 100 percent. To acquire the remaining interest in SPI, the Company paid $2,000,000 of cash to the holder of the noncontrolling interest. As a result of this transaction, the Company’s equity (additional paid-in capital) increased by $551,000. In addition, $197,000 of cumulative translation adjustments (gains) that previously had been allocated to the noncontrolling interest was reclassified to the Company’s AOCI.

The entire disclosure for equity method investments and joint ventures. Equity method investments are investments that give the investor the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of an investee. Joint ventures are entities owned and operated by a small group of businesses as a separate and specific business or project for the mutual benefit of the members of the group.

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