[Top 10] Best Skyrim Alchemy Recipes

Updated:

18 Feb 2021

Your character can be a master Alchemist in no time.

Alchemy is a very beneficial skill in Skyrim. Increasing your skill and crafting potions saves you plenty of gold from buying potions from merchants. With perks as you level up, your potions will be powerful in no time! There are potions to increase just about any skill or stat in the game, so you’ll never run out of things to do! Here are 10 of the best alchemy recipes for your potion making needs.

10. Fortify Carry Weight

Nothing is more annoying in Skyrim than running out of space to carry loot!

Picture this: you’re finally nearing the end of a dungeon, you get to the chest full of that fancy loot… and you’re carrying too much! If you find yourself unable to part with things in your pockets until you can hoard them all away in your house, this potion is great to keep on hand for a quick boost to your carry weight!

Recipe: Trauma Root+ Creep Cluster

Why Fortify Carry Weight is great:

It never hurts to have more room for loot (or accidentally picked up brooms)
They take up less carry weight than, say, a piece of armor with Fortify Carry Weight that you only use on occasion

Fortify Carry Weight details:

While the ingredients above are a good combination, these can work as well: Giant’s Toe, Hawk Beak, Netch Jelly, Poison Bloom, River Betty, Scaly Pholiota, and Wisp Wrappings
Carry weight increase depends on your alchemy skill and relevant perks

9. Invisibility

Nothing is sneakier than being invisible, right?

If you had the ability to become invisible, that would certainly come in handy sometimes, right? Luckily, with the ability to craft tons of Invisibility potions, now you can!

Recipe: Vampire Dust + Chaurus Egg

Why Invisibility is great:

Need to get out of a combat situation you definitely aren’t strong enough for yet? Invisibility can help you there.
Great for characters trying to get as many sneak attacks as possible

Invisibility details:

Other ingredients that can be used in these potions with similar effects: Ash Creep Cluster, Crimson Nirnroot, Ice Wraith Teeth, Luna Moth Wing, and Nirnroot
Duration depends on alchemy skill and relevant perks

8. Fortify Smithing

Put other blacksmiths out of business with your skills.

If you’re looking to upgrade a special piece of armor for yourself, using potions of Fortify Smithing can make those pieces even better. Using these potions to your advantage while leveling your smithing skill is too good to pass up.

Recipe: Sabre Cat Tooth + Spriggan Sap

Why Fortify Smithing is great:

Improve weapons and armor even better with your temporary skill increase
Use these potions to upgrade your armor better than you would be able to with a lower smithing skill

Fortify Smithing details:

Other ingredients that can be used in these potions with similar effects: Blisterwort and Glowing Mushroom
Percentage of skill increase is determined by your alchemy skill and relevant perks

7. Fortify Lockpicking

Pick locks with plenty of ease (no Skeleton Key required).

Some people, such as myself, find lockpicking to be a fun challenge in Skyrim. However, it is tedious and more annoying than I sometimes care to remember. With a few Fortify Lockpicking potions in your pockets, lockpicking can be that much easier for your character.

Recipe: Namira’s Rot + Pine Thrush Egg

Why Fortify Lockpicking is great:

Make lockpicking easier depending on how skilled of an alchemist you are
No more spending twenty minutes using up all of your lockpicks on a master lock just to give up, reload, and skip the treasure that could have been

Fortify Lockpicking details:

Other ingredients that can be used in these potions with similar effects: Ashen Grass Pod, Falmer Ear, Spider Egg
The percentage that this potion makes lockpicking easier varies depending on skills

6. Damage Magicka + Regeneration

Use poisons to your advantage and drain your enemies of their magic.

Are mages giving you trouble throughout Skyrim? Do their spells seem to just keep hitting you as if they have endless Magicka? Bring some of these poisons on your travels to take down those pesky enemies.

Recipe: Glow Dust + Hanging Moss

What makes Damage Magicka & Regeneration great:

Drain the Magicka points of your enemies while decreasing the rate at which it regenerates for them as well
Poison your arrows with this brew to take them down from a good distance

Damage Magicka & Regeneration details:

Other ingredients for damaging Magicka: Butterfly Wing, Chaurus Eggs, Daedra Heart, Eye of Sabre Cat, Luna Moth Wing, etc
Strength of potion dependent on skills

5. Fortify Enchanting

Use enchanting and alchemy hand-in-hand to make your character stronger than ever.

Enchanting and Alchemy can be pretty powerful on their own but put them together and they can be unstoppable! Using Fortify Enchanting potions will make your enchantments you place on gear significantly better.

Recipe: Spawn Ash + Snowberries

What makes Fortify Enchanting great:

Enchantments are more powerful as if you leveled the skill organically (for a period of time)
Using these potions will allow you to enchant much stronger gear earlier in the game

Fortify Enchanting Details:

Other ingredients that can be used in these potions with similar effects: Ancestor Moth Wing, Blue Butterfly Wing, Chaurus Hunter Antennae, Hagraven Claw, Spriggan Sap
The percentage that your enchanting skill temporarily increases is dependent on skills and relevant perks

4. Fortify Barter

Get better prices on all of those dragon bones taking up your inventory.

If you’re having some trouble coming up with gold early on in the game, having some Fortify Barter potions on hand can make all the difference when selling your stuff. More money in the lower levels can make things much easier.

Recipe: Dragon’s Tongue + Hagraven Claw

What makes Fortify Barter great:

Combining these potions with the use of items like the Amulet of Zenithar can help even further
Selling items can be more immersive than using console commands to cheat in money

Fortify Barter details:

Other ingredients that can be used in these potions with similar effects: Butterfly Wing and Tundra Cotton
The percentage at which your prices temporarily increase is dependant on your skill and perks

3. Fortify Two-Handed+Stamina

Make your next two-handed build unstoppable!

With a potion that temporarily increases your Two-Handed skill and your stamina regeneration, your two-handed attacks are at a huge advantage. Try bringing some of these potions along if you like two-handed builds.

Recipe: Bee + Fly Amanita + Troll Fat

What makes Fortify Two-Handed+Stamina great:

The main disadvantage to Two-Handed weapons is how much stamina is drained by power attacks (this potion temporarily takes care of that issue)
The better your stamina points start out and your Two-Handed skill already is, the better this potion will be

Fortify Two-Handed+Stamina details:

Other ingredients for increasing Two-Handed skill: Emperor Parasol Moss and Dragon’s Tongue
An increase in skills and regeneration is dependent on Alchemy skill and relevant perks

2. Fortify Archery (Marksman)

Use these potions to boost your archery damage in no time.

As if archery in Skyrim didn’t already let you do a ton of damage from sneaky distances, brewing up some of these potions will have you devastating your enemies! You’ll be doing way more damage than you have any business doing at your character’s level in no time.

Recipe: Spider Egg+ Elves Ear

What makes Fortify Archery great:

Do more damage at lower levels than you normally would at your current skill level
Combine these with gear enchanted with the Fortify Archery enchantment to take it even further

Fortify Archery details:

Other ingredients that can be used in these potions with similar effects: Canis Root, Juniper Berries
The percentage that your Archery skill temporarily increases is dependent on your skill level in potion making and your relevant perks

1. Fortify+Restore Health

Use this combo health potion to lessen your carry weight load.

Sure, you could purchase and carry around a bunch of standard health potions, and some potions that help regeneration of health too. But hear me out: why do that when you can combine both effects and craft a ton of them yourself!

Recipe: Wheat + Blue Mountain Flower

What makes Fortify+Restore Health great:

Increase your health points just like regular health potions, but increase regeneration of health at the same time
Great for low levels or characters that have to use a lot of points in stamina and Magicka

Fortify+Restore Health details:

Other ingredients that you can use for fortify health: Bear Claws, Boar Tusk, Giant’s Toe, Glowing Mushroom, Hanging Moss, Yellow Mountain Flower
Percentages and health increases for these potions depend on your alchemy skills and relevant perks