Best Potions To Level Alchemy Fast In Skyrim

Summary

• Alchemy skills in Skyrim allow players to brew valuable potions with common ingredients for easy alchemy leveling.
• Gathering ingredients in bulk is a convenient way to level up quickly at the alchemy table in Skyrim.
• Unique recipes like Potion of Resist Fire or Potion of Fortify Health offer high alchemy experience for skill progression.

In Skyrim, improving the alchemy skill can be beneficial in a multitude of ways. Not only does a higher alchemy level mean players can brew potions and poisons with better effects, but they can also choose perks that will allow them to sell potions for more, making it a great way to make money. Generally, the higher the value of the potion, the more it will improve the players’ alchemy level. While the skill can be learned from books and NPCs, gathering ingredients in bulk while traveling can be a more convenient way to quickly gain experience at the alchemy table.

There is an abundance of different potions, each beneficial to different builds (archer, warrior, mage), but for players who simply want to level their alchemy skill before making more advanced recipes, the following are the easiest and quickest to make with common and accessible ingredients. There’s no need to risk taking on high-level enemies or waste time searching for rare ingredients.

The value and effects of these recipes are subject to change according to alchemy level and perks; the stats for these potions are according to level 25 alchemy with no skill tree perks.

Updated on February 9, 2025, by Rachael Phillips: Thirteen years after the release of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, and with TES VI still on the horizon, alchemy remains a popular skill among players of all kinds of builds. Not only can potions replenish Health, Stamina, and Magicka, but they can also help improve other skills like archery or lockpicking, and offer invaluable buffs during combat. Whether players enjoy roleplaying as an alchemist, making money, or reaping the benefits of potions during their playthrough, it is worth learning some of the easier recipes in order to make the most of accessible ingredients.

25

Potion Of Fortify Enchanting

Ingredients: Blue Butterfly Wing, Snowberries

• Effects: Fortify Enchanting
• Value: 11

The Potion of Fortify Enchanting is a cheap and cheerful recipe; not the highest value by any means, but easily made in bulk. Snowberries, as their name suggests, can be found in snowy regions such as Dawnstar and Winterhold, while blue butterfly wings can be found all over Skyrim during the day.

With such abundant ingredients, this potion is simple to make for some initial alchemy experience. It’s also particularly useful for players looking to level up their enchanting skill, as it temporarily improves enchantment strength.

24

Potion Of Fortify Lockpicking

Ingredients: Namira’s Rot, Spider Egg

• Effects: Fortify Lockpicking
• Value: 18

Although it doesn’t have a particularly high starting value, this Potion of Fortify Lockpicking has a simple recipe that not only provides the player with experience, but also with a practical effect. As the name suggests, it makes picking locks temporarily easier, which is especially handy when coming across a master level lock without a very high lockpicking level.

Unsurprisingly, Spider Eggs are most commonly found in spider nests, meaning there is a risk of running into eight-legged foes. However, these can be effectively slain with fire or brute force. For those looking to avoid conflict altogether, there is also a chance that alchemists will have some Spider Eggs for sale (or to steal).

23

Potion Of Restore Stamina

Ingredients: Large Antlers, Purple Mountain Flower

• Effects: Restore Stamina
• Value: 18

Not every fauna ingredient has to involve a risky battle; there is plenty of wildlife wandering Skyrim’s hills that offer some equally useful items. Male deer and elk, distinguished by their size, often drop Large Antlers, and can be found most commonly in meadows and forests. Ivarstead is a particularly hot spot for deer.

Beyond the stamina restoring effects of large antlers, going hunting is a sure way to improve and level up players’ archery skills. That is, of course, if they don’t take the barbarian route and sprint around after game for a melee kill.

22

Potion Of Restore Magicka

Ingredients: Creep Cluster, Red Mountain Flower

• Effects: Restore Magicka
• Value: 18

Both Creep Cluster and Red Mountain Flowers feature in numerous recipes, so are useful to stock up on regardless of which potion players are planning to make. However, it is worth noting that when paired together they create a Potion of Restore Magicka.

While there are other more potent recipes for this potion involving Dwarven Oil and Fire Salts, this one is a quick, easy way to get the benefits without the hassle of exploring dangerous Dwarven ruins.

21

Potion Of Fortify Heavy Armor

Ingredients: Thistle Branch, White Cap

• Effects: increase HA skill by 9 points for 60 seconds
• Value: 40

White Caps are slightly more uncommon than other fungi such as Mora Tapinella and Fly Amanita, but still grow in masses in caves. When paired with the common Thistle Branch (found all across Skyrim’s roadsides), players can brew the Potion of Fortify Heavy Armor.

This is a useful potion for players going for a tank build as it will temporarily increase the heavy armor skill, bolstering the players’ defense against attacks, conveniently making collecting ingredients from dangerous places somewhat easier.

20

Potion Of Resist Magic

Ingredients: Garlic, Lavender, Tundra Cotton

• Effects: Resist Magic
• Value: 42

Tundra cotton can be found all around Whiterun, including outside of homes and stores, so players do not need to travel far to find it. They should also keep an eye out on their travels, as it can be found on plains where snow and trees don’t obstruct its growth.

For those frequently snooping in hostile mage’s caves and picking fights with magical creatures, the Potion of Resist Magic will come in very handy; it will temporarily reduce the amount of damage taken from magic attacks.

19

Potion Of Fortify Magicka

Ingredients: Red Mountain Flower, Tundra Cotton

• Effects: Fortify Magicka
• Value: 51

The Potion of Fortify Magicka offers a surprising amount of alchemy experience, considering how common the ingredients required to make it are. It is also particularly handy for players looking for a temporary magicka boost.

Like the Tundra Cotton, Red Mountain Flowers are found all over Skyrim, particularly around Riften, but also frequently along most paths. They are also sold by vendors more often than many other ingredients, making this recipe a firm staple for traveling alchemists.

18

Potion Of Fortify Conjuration

Ingredients: Bone Meal, Lavender

• Effects: Fortify Conjuration, Damage Stamina
• Value: 56

If players don’t mind going the extra mile, they can take on skeletons to get the bone meal ingredient for a Potion of Fortify Conjuring. Although this requires engaging in combat, skeletons are a low level enemy with weak health pools, making them totally tackle-able for players just starting out.

The plus side to this recipe is that the Lavender can be swapped out for a number of other common ingredients, such as Blue Mountain Flower or Frost Salts. This makes it great for players who collect whatever ingredients they stumble across and might already have in their inventory, and mages looking to hone their conjuring skills.

17

Potion of Resist Fire

Ingredients: Dragon’s Tongue, Purple Mountain Flower, Snowberries

• Effects: Resist Fire
• Value: 65

Although not as common as the blue variety, the Purple Mountain Flower can still easily be harvested from mountains below the snow line, often without needing to deviate from the paths. Likely dangers include bears, wolves, and sabre cats, but these typically don’t attack in groups, which makes them easier to handle.

While not yielding as much experience as some other potions, for a recipe that uses easier-to-find, common ingredients, Potion of Resist Fire can be made in high quantities to increase the alchemy skill with barely any effort.

16

Potion Of Resist Fire (Alternative Recipe)

Ingredients: Bone Meal, Fly Amanita

• Effects: Resist Fire
• Value: 65

Players looking for a simple single effect potion while leveling up their melee might want to try this alternative to the above Potion of Resist Fire. This recipe only has two ingredients but, like the Potion of Fortify Conjuring, requires a bit of bone crunching. Fortunately, players won’t need to venture far; Skeletons can be found in each city’s Hall of the Dead (though often accompanied by Draugr).

This is a particularly useful potion to make early in the game for a helping hand when fighting fire dragons while still at a low level. Not only will making lots of these potions speed up alchemy leveling, but arm the player with a useful inventory for magic battles.

15

Potion Of Resist Frost

Ingredients: Purple Mountain Flower, Thistle Branch

• Effects: Resist Frost
• Value: 65

Thistle plants can be found all over Skyrim, but particularly in pine forests and in Riverwood. Due to their frost and poison resistant properties, they are also carried by mages, although they can be found in apothecary satchels and alchemy stores for players looking to avoid a fight.

Without the racial advantages of Nords or Vampires, the Potion of Resist Frost can be a lifesaver. Like the other Resist potions, this recipe offers some defense against frost spells, especially useful when encountering Ice Mages or Frost Dragons.

14

Potion Of Fortify Illusion

Ingredients: Dragon’s Tongue, Mora Tapinella

• Effects: Fortify Illusion
• Value: 68

Illusion is one of the more tactical branches of magic in Skyrim, allowing players to manipulate people and creatures around them, making combat significantly more manageable. The Potion of Fortify Illusion makes illusion spells temporarily stronger.

Once players can identify the Mora Tapinella, it becomes hard not to spot. The fungus grows on fallen trees and stumps in the many forests of Skyrim, while Dragon’s Tongue can be found most commonly in the tundras of Eastmarch and around Solitude.

13

Potion Of Fortify Sneak

Ingredients: Abecean Longfin, Purple Mountain Flower

• Effects: Fortify Sneak
• Value: 86

Sneak is one of the first skills that players are likely to level up early in the game, so the Potion of Fortify Sneak might not be the most practical potion beyond a certain point of gameplay. That being said, the recipe is simple to make and yields a fair amount of alchemy experience.

Compared to Salmon, Abecean Longfin are significantly easier to acquire. Riften Fishery, lakes, and barrels near docks all have a chance of yielding this fish. A good trick to determine if there are Longfin in a lake is to look for hovering dragonflies – the Abecean is likely lurking just below.

12

Potion of Resist Poison

Ingredients: Mudcrab Chitin, Nordic Barnacle, Slaughterfish Eggs

• Effects: Resist Poison
• Value: 86

Choosing to travel via the coast or lake-dense areas can be an efficient way to obtain ingredients for a Potion of Resist Poison. Slaughterfish Eggs, like Nordic Barnacles, can be found underwater. While Slaughterfish can be tricky to ward off underwater, they can still be lured into the shallows and defeated from the safety of the shore.

While not offering the highest alchemy experience, the close vicinity of all the required ingredients means harvesting them is often a one-trip job, with no need to spend time traipsing across the whole of Skyrim searching for elusive and rare items.

11

Potion Of Fortify Marksman

Ingredients: Juniper Berries, Spider Egg

• Effects: Fortify Marksman
• Value: 86

The Potion of Fortify Marksman requires only two ingredients, meaning it is relatively quick to make once players know where to look. While Juniper Berries are common around Markarth, finding Spider Eggs takes a little bit more digging. They are not rare, though, and can be harvested in bulk to avoid returning to spider nests.

As its name implies, this recipe is particularly useful for players working towards an archery build, as it temporarily increases bow damage. Making this potion in mass means faster alchemy leveling, and higher alchemy skill means stronger potions, which means more bow damage. It’s all around useful recipe for early ranged players.

10

Potion Of Resist Poison

Ingredients: Bone Meal, Charred Skeever Hide, Mudcrab Chitin

• Effects: Resist Poison, Restore Stamina
• Value: 105

Players who prefer some action will enjoy creating this recipe as it will require some steel clashing to acquire the ingredients. The enemies, Skeletons and Mudcrabs, aren’t too challenging for early players though, and offer a chance to level up their fighting style of choice.

The Resist Poison property of this potion means that the player will be less vulnerable to the venomous spit of creepy crawlies like the Chaurus or Frostbite Spiders, as well as any poisoned weapons they might have the mishap of coming into contact with. This version of the potion also restores stamina.

9

Potion Of Fortify Restoration

Ingredients: Abecean Longfin, Salt Pile, Small Antlers

• Effects: Fortify Restoration, Target Weakness to Poison
• Value: 123

Whether going for a mage build or not, there is no doubt that restoration spells can come in extremely handy, especially when players are running short on health potions and food. Like the Large Antlers, Small Antlers can be looted from deer and elk, but they must be female.

The Potion of Restore Restoration will be most beneficial to players who haven’t leveled up their restoration skill but need to heal, as it makes spells of the same class stronger. This variation also makes the player’s target weaker to poison; another reason to level the alchemy skill.

8

Potion of Resist Shock

Ingredients: Blisterwort, Glowing Mushroom, Snowberries

• Effects: Resist Shock, Fortify Smithing
• Value: 125

Potion of Resist Shock requires a couple of fungi species that are commonly found growing in caves, making it a beneficial potion for players who also like exploring or don’t want to spend time specifically searching for ingredients and would rather collect as they go.

Due to the properties of the Glowing Mushroom, this potion also offers the additional benefit of improving smithing, making it not only easy to make but also useful for players looking for fast ways to better their blacksmithing to upgrade armor or weapons.

7

Potion of Regenerate Magicka

Ingredients: Garlic, Mudcrab Chitin, Salt Pile

• Effects: Regenerate Magicka, Resist Poison
• Value: 218

Sounding almost like a food recipe, the Potion of Regenerate Magicka is made of common resources such as garlic and salt pile that can be found in kitchens of most homes or sold by vendors. Mudcrabs can be found around most bodies of water and, despite being hostile, are among the lowest-level enemies, so they can be fought with ease.

For players who enjoy taking the time to battle foes rather than bypass them, Mudcrab Chitin can be obtained by the masses along with the other household ingredients, so this potion can be made in bulk to speedily level up the alchemy skill.

6

Potion of Regenerate Health

Ingredients: Charred Skeever Hide, Garlic, Juniper Berries

• Effects: Regenerate Health, Resist Poison
• Value: 218

For alchemist-build players who also want better health regeneration, this potion is particularly beneficial. Juniper berries are easily found in The Reach around Markarth. Fortunately, acquiring a charred Skeever hide doesn’t involve dealing with the vermin, but they can only be found on spits over campfires that are typically at bandit and giant camps. If the player is crafty, they can sneak their way around these foes and take the ingredient.

Not only does a Potion of Regenerate Health offer a fair amount of alchemy experience, but it’s also useful for battling spiders and Chaurus due to its poison-resistant properties (if the player decides to use it rather than sell it).