Alchemy Tips Alchemy is very effective for leveling , making money , and making extremely strong armor and weapons when paired with Enchanting and / or Smithing . Obtaining ingredients . Due to the wide variety of ingredients , obtaining them can be time - consuming and depending on the ingredients , costly . However , it is possible to aid the collection of ingredients using the following tips : Obtaining free ingredients from vendors . Many of the Alchemy Vendors in Skyrim will allow the Dragonborn to take certain ingredients from the displays in the shops without cost or consequence . In addition , the stock displayed throughout the stores will respawn every ten days , providing a frequent stock of ingredients , some of which are hard to find . In order for this to occur , the vendors each require a quest to be completed : The Merchant Perk . Several ingredients cannot be purchased from Vendors without the ' Merchant ' Speech Perk . These ingredients include : Harvesting Pearls . With the addition of , Pearls and Small Pearl s can be harvested from Pearl Oysters found on the coasts of Solstheim . Leveling . How the Alchemy mechanic works ( overview ) . The Alchemy skill increases proportionally to the value / cost of the potion being brewed . The value of the potion depends on : Most valuable single effects . Certain effects contribute more to the value of a potion than others . The best are ( in order from the bottom ) : These are two to three times more effective than other potions when giving skill points . Best value reagent combinations for leveling . Certain ingredients have additional modifiers and there is one in particular that must be mentioned : When used in a Fortify Health potion , Giant ' s Toe adds almost 5 times more to the base value of the potion . A player with high enough skill can create Giant ' s Toe potions worth over 4000 gold ( which is more than most merchants will have on hand unless you are high enough on the speech skill tree ) . Best potions to sell , all include Giant ' s Toe : ( # ) = BV Best potions to sell , without Giant ' s Toe : ( # ) = BV Best process tips for leveling . Making big batches of potions at a time is most efficient and effective for leveling . Note that the " value " of the potion is not really reflected by the vendor price ; improving vendor price does not change the potion ' s base value and thus does not affect the skill increase . Leveling example 1 . An efficient way to level Alchemy to 100 involves the following steps : To make money for training & level up at the same time , follow this simple process : Leveling alchemy to level up to 272 . Alchemy is probably the best skill to use to level using the restoration potion loop . Here is what you do : Tips : This Android application calculates all recipes that can be done with a set of ingredients . Even the 20 , 350 possible combinations with all ingredients . It allows you to manage various character status . Remembers current skills , selected perks and equipment of the character . These values influence the results of alchemy . The value , magnitude and duration of effects in the recipes is calculated taking into account the character status . Thus the results are identical to those obtained in the game . It takes into account the " special " ingredients that multiply ( sometimes x100 ) the value , the magnitude and duration of certain effects . Every character status allows easy storage of ingredients data : the amount and effects that has been already discovered in the game . You can use these data in searches to find recipes possible with your inventory , or recipes with whom discover more new effects . When you decide to make a recipe in the game , you can press a button to update the discovered effects and number of ingredients . There is no need to manually update the character status in the application . You can do quick searches by simply selecting ingredients from the list . Needless to set the character status , or inventory , or discovered effects . You can check ingredients you own , and calculate all the potions you can made , with 2 or 3 ingredients , sort them by value and filter them by number of effects , type of effect and so on . Dawnguard , Hearthfire and Dragonborn ingredients . With Pro version , you can auto - sync Skyrim PC game with the app , to automatically transfer your ingredients inventory , so you don ' t need to type it . Applications . Online tools . This web application lists all available effects and generates a list of ingredients from the effect ( s ) that you have chosen . This web application is able to find all the recipe combinations for a given ingredient . By default it will show the recipes which discover the effects of the ingredient , for example , given ' Glow Dust ' it will find the three unique recipes which will discover all 4 of the Glow Dust ingredient ' s effects . You can also select the optional ' Display all recipes ' flag to show all the recipes , some ingredients can create some awesome potions with 6 effects . Play around with it and see what you find ! For now you can use CTRL + F to search through the results if there are too many . Improvements to allow easy searching and filtering of results are in the works . Features a set of useful " pre - mixed " recipes . Also provides a bookmark - able link to any recipe list / setting configurations you create , so ( for example ) you don ' t need to re - enter your inventory every time you visit . Tabbed interface is specifically designed with tablet users in mind ( no drop lists or text entry ) . Input includes entry of available ingredient inventory , one or more " must use " ingredients , one or more " must have " effects , and one or more " forbidden " effects . Output is recipe list sorted by value . Handy for leveling , figuring out how to produce a certain effect ( or combination of effects ) , or just to see what potions you can make to use up some ingredients you have to much of . This web application is the only one found where a user could enter the amount of each ingredient they have , and it will automatically show you how many of each potion to make for maximum profit . This method is found by using the ' advanced ' tab on the linked above . This site is fast as it uses no javascript or any plugins at all so it can even be used on all cellphones . It was created by a random gamer , who is also a web developer , and posted on his company ' s web page for all to use . The only alchemy helper with Dawnguard and Hearthfire ingredient at the moments . Quite user friendly , it also let ' s you save your favorite recipes and groups the ingredients combinations that have the same resulting potions . Values and magnitude / duration are calculated based on your skill and perks and will be the exact in game value . It ' s main goal is alchemy leveling and gold making , but it can also help if you like to maintain a good stock of the potions / poison you consider more useful This is a basic open - source application for calculating the cost of potions you can create in Skyrim given a set of ingredients . Making money . Overview . Alchemy is arguably the most time - and cost - efficient way to make money in Skyrim ; the ability to make money is limited by the money each vendor has ( which in turn is a function of time ) , perks that the player has and the odd way that potions are priced by the game over time . In general , making money from potions is determined by : To reach level 100 Alchemy , approximately 200 , 000 septims worth of potions needs to be brewed . As early as level 10 one could be making over 1 , 000 from a single potion . For example : from a single Falmer - infested dungeon , one could extract 100 or more Chaurus Eggs , and a simple walk around Whiterun ' s outskirts at twilight can provide several Luna Moth Wing s . This results in a rather valuable Invisibility potion . Additionally , the combination of Salmon roe , Garlic , and a Nordic Barnacle makes the most expensive base potion , but requires . Expenses . Purchasing raw materials from vendors is generally efficient , because it avoids much of the time cost associated with finding many raw materials in the wild . However , for rare ingredients , a lot of time can be lost traveling to specific merchants . In general , you should buy every ingredient ( except elemental salts ) in shops that are less than about 60 septims because the return ratio is astronomically high for even the weakest of potion types . There is almost no correlation between an ingredients cost or rarity and the potential value of the potion you can create from it . In fact , some of the most expensive and rare ingredients make the lowest valued potions and vice versa . The Giant ' s Toe ( cheap but somewhat rare ) in particular has the potential to create the highest value potions in the game at low levels ( Giant ' s Toe + Wheat + Creep Cluster ) . Another way to cover beginning expenses ( and slightly boost your alchemy level is like so : In the tutorial , take as many spider eggs as your can from the Frostbite Spider nest . Upon exiting , many Blue Butterflies can be seen going to Riverwood and Whiterun . Collect these as well . Proceed to the nearest brewing stand , ( Arcadia ' s Cauldron ) and brew them together . The gold made here can usually be used to pay for additional ingredients for other , more advanced recipes . Home ownership is another worthwhile investment for busy alchemists : it provides a convenient storage location for potions , ingredients , and buff equipment . The most affordable house in Skyrim is Breezehome in Whiterun at 5000 for the basic house , 500 more for an alchemy room . With the DLC , you can easily grow ingredients for your most valuable potions in the garden and greenhouse respawning every 3 days . For a 5000 Gold you get a pitch of land with enough materials for a small house and a garden with 11 pitches of fertile soil . Owning all 3 construction sites of Skyrim grants 33 pitches of fertile soil , which is enough to make more potions than you could sell without investing points in the Speech perk tree . Brewing process . The same general tips used for leveling are applicable for improving the profitability of potions with a high vendor price : buffs and fortify Alchemy gear will both help improve potions that the vendors are willing to buy . It should be noted , however , that each vendor has a limited amount of money , and it is possible to empty a vendor ' s pockets with a single potion . One way to refill a vendor ' s available gold , is to wait 48 hours , or , the exploit : Buy , save , attack the vendor , and reload the save . As mentioned before , the " base value " of a potion does not always reflect the vendor price , but a potion that a vendor wants can be brewed stronger , for a better sale price . Sales and trade routes . All vendors in the game , even with perks , have a limited amount of money ; the Thieves ' Guild fences have deeper pockets ( about 4 , 000 septims ) , but very valuable potions will drain even those quite quickly . Once you have calculated and produced the most valuable potions , the remaining effort will be spent developing trade routes which will allow each vendors ' money to refill as the player comes around to sell their wares . Alternatively , players can save immediately following a clearing of a merchant ' s inventory , kill the merchant , and reload the game just saved - this resets both the gold available , and inventory of that merchant . This saves considerable time versus fast traveling from location to location , and the load times associated with them . Sales tools . If you ' re interested in creating potions to sell ( and you have an iPhone / iPad ) then try this app : It is the most convenient to use without having to Alt - Tab to an online site . Selecting all ingredients that you have , and make potions in the order listed . When you run out of an ingredient , tap on its name to remove it from the list and keep going . However , if you don ' t have an iPhone / iPad , there is a similar calculator online : This does the same thing , but will require you to alt - tab from the game , or play with a computer near by if you play on a console . ( As of 2013 - 02 - 02 this link is broken ) Also , this web application is intended to help you find the most profitable potions to create from your ingredients : Start with an ingredient you have lots of ; this app will find the most profitable effect this ingredient has , and what your options are for the second ingredient in the potion . Once you have figured out the first two ingredients , you will be given a list of options for the third ingredient , ordered by profit . Advanced Alchemy - Enchanting - Smithing Power - Crafting . Exploit for extremely powerful weapons and armor : overview . Warning to all players : Usage of the Alchemy Exploit to create armor with too high ( over 1 hundred thousand ) points causes the game to go haywire , resulting in multiple crashes , hangs and serious lag in some areas . Please use with care to prevent loss of data . Recommended once you have leveled Alchemy , Enchanting and Smithing to 100 and have all perks which grant bonuses to these skills . Using Alchemy & Enchanting to amplify each other , so - called " Ultimate Weapons " and armor can be made using Smithing . This technique uses gear and stacking potion buffs to enchant gear with powerful buffs which in turn allow one to create stronger potions . To begin , start by wearing any existing Fortify Alchemy gear you have on hand . Then , use Alchemy to create a couple of potions of Fortify Enchanting , which allows the player to create stronger enchantments of Fortify Alchemy . The player can now create a stronger potion of Fortify Enchanting , and so on , building on each other . Note : The player may also utilize the ( restoration perk ) Necromage / Vampirism combo to expedite / enhance this process In certain cases , there are a few pieces of headgear that glitch , allowing you to wear two circlets at once . So far we know the Thieves ' Guild Hood and Pentulus Oculotis hemlets have this effect . The Falmer Helm glitch , although thought to have been patched , still seems to work after much testing , on Xbox and PC . Method 1 ( Basic ) . Step 1 : Set initial Alchemy buffs . Usually the player can enchant a set of four items with a skill fortification ( Fortify Alchemy and Fortify Smithing only ; Fortify Enchanting only exists as a potion ) . Add + 25 % Fortify Alchemy enchantments on a ring , a necklace , gloves / bracers and a circlet . Wear all four pieces of enchanted equipment . If you are unable to get the max + 25 % bonus , capping at only + 20 % instead , you may need to patch on Xbox or PS3 . Step 2 : Create Stronger Fortify Enchanting Potions . Make a Fortify Enchanting potion . Have all your enchanting materials and armor on hand , as the potion ' s effects only last for 30 seconds . With this potion , you will be able to enchant + 29 % Fortify Alchemy and + 29 % Fortify Smithing to your gear ( 29 % is the best you can get without exploits ) . With the Dual Effect enchanting perk , three pieces may serve double duty : a ring , a necklace and gloves / bracers will hold both enchantments . Wear the new Alchemy gear . - It is possible on PS3 to create + 39 % gear , but it actually prevents you from using the exploits regarding restoration potions etc . as the game can ' t seem to cope . So an interesting side achievement , but no better than the + 29 % . Step 3 : Create Stronger Fortify Smithing Potions . With + 29 % Alchemy gear , you will be able to create + 147 % Fortify Smithing potions and 37 % Fortify Enchanting potions . With + 29 % Fortify Smithing gear and the + 147 % Fortify Smithing potions , you will be able to create and improve powerful weapons and armor . Use the 37 % Fortify Enchanting potions to further enhance this gear . Method 2 ( Advanced ) : Using Fortify Restoration Potion exploit . This method was reported to produce + 280 % Fortify Enchantment potions , which allowed the creation of items such as Dragonscale Armor ( Legendary ) with an armor value of 5 , 793 , Health + 141 and Health Regeneration 70 % faster , value of 100 , 126 gold . Bear in mind that this is by no means the maximum strength attainable , as one can create iron daggers with billions of damage and enchant apparel to fortify health by billions of points . Additionally , effects granted by Standing Stones , such as the The Atronach Stone , will increase , allowing greater immunity to magic while having an even slower magicka regeneration . These results will also give you the ability to level multiple skills to 100 in a single action . For example , selling an item after using the loop to a good extent , can create items worth enough gold to level speech from 15 to 100 by selling one item . Making a large amount of fortify enchanting and smithing potions is recommended , as you can reset your skills to legendary , and sell another enhanced item to reach 100 in that skill again . One fortify smithing potion could allow you to improve items and armor many times , thus enabling the ability to level speech continuously many times over . Having 100 in Smithing , Enchanting and Alchemy are recommend to shorten the process and reduce the number of Fortify Restoration potions needed , but the nature of the exploit permits starting very early - on with fairly weak items and abilities provided enough Fortify Restoration potions can be created . The fortify restoration glitch was fixed as of patch 1 . 9 so the exploit no longer works . The reason this exploit works is : The basic sequence of steps is as follows : Before beginning the cycle . Take all of your Fortify equipment off , to prepare to take advantage of the Fortify Restoration Potion exploit . Be sure to also remove any items with the Fortify Health enchantment ( see below ) . Amplification cycle ( thorough method ) . If you have prepared your Fortify Restoration potions in advance , then follow these steps : Variation on Method 2 - Unlimited Fortify Restoration ( tested PC ) . Fortify Restoration Potion Exploit With No Waiting ( Tested PC / PS3 / Xbox )