Let’s face it. Alchemy takes a long time to master inThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Like Smithing, the Alchemy skill requires patience that not every player may be willing to expend. Recipes need to be figured out and ingredients need to be located as well as collected before the brewing can begin.
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However, for players who stick with it, Alchemy can be immensely rewarding. Lethal poisons can down some enemies in seconds. Restorative potions can help ensure the Dragonborn is always in the best physical condition. With the right guidance and information, maxing outthe Alchemy skill can be conquered in no time.
Updated July 03, 2025 by Mark Hospodar:Running out of things to do inSkyrimisn’t a typical problem. The game is huge and is also backed up by a colossal modding community that has extended the RPG’s longevity for over a decade. Now that the Anniversary Edition has been released, players possess the most complete version of Skyrim to date.
Now has never been a better time to revisit the Dragonborn’s trusty Alchemy lab. The aforementioned Anniversary Edition includes all Creation Club content, including dozens of new ingredients that can be used in crafting helpful potions and deadly poisons. ThisSkyrim Alchemy guidehas been expanded to include a choice selection of potions (and their ingredients) that players unfamiliar with Alchemy may find useful.
10Races & Standing Stones
Choosing a race inThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimis an important choice, at least to a certain point. Nothing will be lost by picking a race that’s not predisposed to alchemy. It just means the player will have to put in a little extra work in terms of leveling. The races thatdobenefit from an Alchemyskill bonus of +5include:
Regardless of race, the Alchemy skill can also benefit from the variousStanding Stone blessings scattered across Skyrim. Specifically, there are two Standing Stones that directly impact the Alchemy skill, which are:
Players who are dead-set on increasing the Alchemy skill as quickly as possible should definitely consider choosing the Thief Stone. Conversely, those looking for a more balanced experience can select the Lover Stone, which affectsallthe skills in a player’s repertoire.
9Eat Every Ingredient You Find… Seriously
The first step in the road to 100 in the Alchemy skill is discovering what each ingredient actually does. The simplest (and most disgusting) way to do so is byeating every ingredientthe player comes across. Eating an ingredient for the first timeraises the Alchemy skill by a small amount. Including all the DLC and Creation Club content, that makes for182 total ingredientsin the game.
The biggest benefit is that once consumed,one of the ingredient’s four hidden properties is revealed. This gives a clue as to what kind of potion the ingredient may be useful for when concocting a mixture. Choosing theExperimenter perkatLevel 50in the Alchemy skill tree also unlocks an additional property at each rank when something is consumed. So, if it’s edible, give it a chomp!
8Experimenting & Finding Recipes
Once the player has sampled and collected a diverse set of ingredients it’s time to start practicing. There are two ways a novice alchemist can get the ball rolling without visiting a trainer:experimentingandfinding/using recipes. Both options have their pros and cons. Realistically, players will use both methods on their way to 100.
Experimenting – The Old Fashioned Method
Experimenting involvesmashing together at least two ingredients at the alchemy lab. If they aren’t compatible, nothing will happen. A successful match results in a potion, the effects of which are derived from the ingredients used.
Thus, experimenting will steadily reveal all four of an ingredient’s properties. The downside to this method is that experimenting is an awfully time-consuming process. Furthermore, it’s worth reiterating that if players mix incompatible ingredients,nothing is produced, resulting in a waste of materials.
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Using Recipes – The Guided Method
Recipes, on the other hand, cut out the guesswork. Players should get into the habit of looting everything they come across since enemies sometimes drop worthwhile recipes. Alchemists also sell them in their shops so it’s often a good idea topurchase as many as possible in the early game.
That way, players are given a little more guidance in terms of what they should be hunting for while traveling through the wilderness. Just because a shopkeeper sells a recipe doesn’t mean they also provide the necessary ingredients. More often than not,players will still have to put in the legwork to collect what they need.
7Leveling & Effects
Besides eating ingredients for the first time the bulk of a player’s Alchemy experience will come from crafting potions. More specifically, the more valuable the potion, the more experience that will be gained. A particularly valuable Fortify Health potion can be brewed by combiningBear Claws+Hanging Moss+Giant’s Toe.
It’s also important to keep in mind that crafted potions and poisons sometimes mix both positive and negative effects. Always read the description of what the potion does before implementing it in battle, just in case. ThePurity perkcan eliminate this problem once the Alchemy skill is maxed out.
Efficient Alchemy Leveling
The morevaluable a potion/poison is, the greater the skill gain. Fortunately, inSkyrim: Anniversary Edition, the player doesn’t lack options when it comes to Alchemy ingredients.Potions of Waterbreathingare typically quite valuable and can increase fans' Alchemy skill significantly. One such combination can includeFungus Stalk+Void Essence+Salmon Roe.
TheAnniversary Editionincludes dozens of new ingredients, many of which stem from the Rare Curios CC content. That, along with the ability to properly fish, opens up plenty of additional opportunities to gather ingredients and implement them at the Alchemy Lab. For example, new effects such as Nighteye and Spell Absorption are now available to attain through Alchemy.
6Alchemy Skill Books
Certain books offer a quick and easy way to increase a skill level by one. There arefiveAlchemy skill books in the game and multiple copies exist across a variety of locations. Knowing where to find them is half the battle. These are some of the more convenient locations for each of the books:
5Quest Rewards
Sometimes, completing a quest doesn’t result in gold. More learned NPCs will impart some of their knowledge to the Dragonborn to show their gratitude. These free skill increases are always beneficial and Alchemy is no exception. These are the NPCs that will grant an Alchemy skill increase once their associated quest has been completed:
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4Helpful Potions For Various Builds
Regardless of a player’s build, potions are going to be consumed at one point or another. However, not every potion in the game suits a player’s needs. Depending on one’s playstyle, certain potions should be prioritized over others. The following brews will prove useful for each of the broadSkyrimbuilds:Warriors,Mages, andThieves/Assassins.
It’s worth noting that the suggested ingredients that accompany each of the following potions are just the tip of the iceberg. Several other ingredients can be combined to achieve the same result. The materials listed beside each potion are common ingredients that players shouldn’t have too much trouble finding, which may be helpful for players who haven’t prioritized Alchemy before. Alternatives in the form of suggestedCreation Club/DLC ingredientsare also given.
Useful Potions For Thieves/Assassins (& Suggested Ingredients)
3Useful Perks
Perks offer great benefits, butselecting the right ones is important. Players are only given one perk point after leveling up, so choosing wisely when it comes to Alchemy is imperative. Obviously, everyone has a different play style, but these perks generally tend to be useful for any alchemist:
As stated previously, theExperimenterperk can be extremely beneficial, especially if there are a lot of ingredient properties the player hasn’t learned yet. ThePhysicianandBenefactorperks make restorative potions more effective.
Poisoner, as the name suggests, makes the Dragonborn’s poison more deadly. Lastly, taking each rank of theAlchemistperk is highly recommended in order to guarantee the player’s brews are at their most powerful.
2Alchemy Pairs Well With Enchanting
It’s important to remember that Enchanting goes far beyond just fortifying a player’s martial abilities. Alchemy enchantments can be placed on clothing items too. TheFortify Alchemyenchantment can help boost a player’s skill, allowing for more powerful potions and poisons to be crafted.
The strength of the charm is dependent upon the player’s Enchanting skill. As such, the benefits can vary from a little to a lot. To get the most out of one’s potions it’s definitely worth investing sometime practicing enchanting. Some quest reward items, powers, and artifacts already possess enchantments that aid in alchemy, which include:
1Important Trainers
If practice and experimentation become too tiring,there’s always training. Although it will eventually become costly in gold, training is the easiest method to level up Alchemy swiftly. Four trainers are willing to lend their services, each with their own varying levels of experience:
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Editionis currently available on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
