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Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail)						12 Months Ended
Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail)	Feb. 02, 2021 USD ($)	Jan. 29, 2021 USD ($) Site	Sep. 17, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 13, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 17, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payment of working capital		$ 21,560,000
Payment of value added tax		3,000,000
Cash acquired on working capital		$ 5,900,000
Paid from cash on hand, assets acquired						$ 3,503,000	$ 2,040,000
Goodwill						97,187,000	27,972,000	$ 26,086,000
Polymer Segment [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill						74,482,000	5,419,000	5,406,000
Surfactants Segment [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill						22,222,000	$ 22,070,000	$ 20,197,000
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member] \| Acquisition-related Costs [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net income attributable to Stepan Company						1,890,000
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| Polymer Segment [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset purchase agreement date		Jan. 29, 2021
Number of manufacturing site \| Site		2
Purchase price		$ 165,000,000
Acquisition-related expenses						1,890,000
Goodwill		64,800,000
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| Polymer Segment [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member] \| Legal, Consulting, Valuation and Accounting Services [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition-related expenses						3,837,000
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| Polymer Segment [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member] \| Technology and Manufacturing Know-how [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Identifiable intangible assets		13,000,000
Intangible assets identified related to acquisition		13,000,000
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| Polymer Segment [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member] \| Trademarks [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Identifiable intangible assets		8,000,000
Intangible assets identified related to acquisition		8,000,000
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| Polymer Segment [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member] \| Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Identifiable intangible assets		25,000,000
Intangible assets identified related to acquisition		$ 25,000,000
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| Polymer Segment [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member] \| Customer Relationships [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization periods of identifiable intangibles assets		12 years
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| Polymer Segment [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member] \| Customer Relationships [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization periods of identifiable intangibles assets		14 years
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| Polymer Segment [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member] \| Know-how and Trademarks [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization periods of identifiable intangibles assets		7 years
INVISTA Aromatic Polyester Polyol Business Acquisition [Member] \| Polymer Segment [Member] \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member] \| Know-how and Trademarks [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization periods of identifiable intangibles assets		8 years
Fermentation Plant Acquisition \| 2021 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Paid from cash on hand, assets acquired	$ 3,500,000
Clariant (Mexico) [Member] \| Surfactants Segment [Member] \| 2020 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price						14,308,000
Payment of value added tax						$ 308,000
Purchase price			$ 14,000,000
Goodwill			5,165,000
Clariant (Mexico) [Member] \| Surfactants Segment [Member] \| 2020 Acquisitions [Member] \| Trademarks and Know-how [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Identifiable intangible assets			1,300,000
Intangible assets identified related to acquisition			$ 1,300,000
Logos Technologies Asset Acquisition [Member] \| Surfactants Segment [Member] \| 2020 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Paid from cash on hand, assets acquired				$ 2,040,000
Logos Technologies Asset Acquisition [Member] \| Surfactants Segment [Member] \| 2020 Acquisitions [Member] \| Laboratory Equipment [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Equipment acquired				184,000
Logos Technologies Asset Acquisition [Member] \| Surfactants Segment [Member] \| 2020 Acquisitions [Member] \| Trademarks and Know-how [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired				1,392,000
Logos Technologies Asset Acquisition [Member] \| Surfactants Segment [Member] \| 2020 Acquisitions [Member] \| Patents [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired				$ 464,000
Oilfield Demulsifier Product Line [Member] \| Surfactants Segment [Member] \| 2019 Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price					$ 9,000,000
Weighted average amortization periods of identifiable intangibles assets					20 years
Goodwill					$ 3,161,000
Oilfield Demulsifier Product Line [Member] \| Surfactants Segment [Member] \| 2019 Acquisition [Member] \| Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Identifiable intangible assets					1,900,000
Intangible assets identified related to acquisition					1,900,000
Oilfield Demulsifier Product Line [Member] \| Surfactants Segment [Member] \| 2019 Acquisition [Member] \| Product Know-how [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Identifiable intangible assets					3,300,000
Intangible assets identified related to acquisition					$ 3,300,000