Borrowings, Issuance Percentage

No definition available.

Name:	alc_BorrowingsIssuancePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	alc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of interest and other costs that an entity incurs in connection with the borrowing of funds.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name IAS
-Number 1
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 112
-Subparagraph c
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_112_c&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2019-03-27

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_BorrowingCostsIncurred
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of outstanding funds that the entity is obligated to repay.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name IAS
-Number 1
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 55
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2019-03-27

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_Borrowings
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The interest rate on borrowings. [Refer: Borrowings]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IFRS&num=7&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_7&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2019-03-27

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_BorrowingsInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DisclosureOfDetailedInformationAboutBorrowingsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of interest expense on borrowings. [Refer: Interest expense; Borrowings]

+ References

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_InterestExpenseOnBorrowings
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The nominal or face amount of a financial instrument, used to calculate payments made on that instrument.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_NotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_BorrowingsByNameAxis=alc_RevolvingFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_BorrowingsByNameAxis=alc_SeniorNotesDue2030Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_CarryingAmountAccumulatedDepreciationAmortisationAndImpairmentAndGrossCarryingAmountAxis=alc_BorrowingsDiscountMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Non-current and current financial debts - Additional information (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	May 27, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019	Apr. 02, 2019
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [line items]
Interest expense		$ 23,000,000	$ 27,000,000	$ 46,000,000	$ 31,000,000
Borrowings		4,144,000,000		4,144,000,000		$ 3,479,000,000	$ 3,500,000,000
Revolving facility
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [line items]
Notional amount		$ 1,000,000,000.0		$ 1,000,000,000.0
Series 2030 notes
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [line items]
Notional amount	$ 750,000,000
Borrowings, issuance percentage	99.843%
Borrowings, interest rate	2.60%
Borrowing costs incurred	$ 5,000,000
Series 2030 notes \| Discount
Disclosure of detailed information about borrowings [line items]
Borrowings	$ 1,000,000