Skyrim: Health Potion Recipe

Skyrim is one of the few video games whose popularity has lasted 10 years. Even after a decade, gamers still return to combat hungry wolves, mischievous demigods, and a slight case of civil war. As the Dragonborn, players will have a much easier time surviving the harsh environment if they know the Restore Health potion recipe.

Players have a myriad of options for regaining Health, from potions and food to items and spells. From the onset, all Dragonborns can cast Healing; however, this can be slow, endanger the player, and comes at the expense of the player’s available Magicka. Instead, many players find it beneficial to know the recipe for crafting Restore Health potions – one of the best Alchemy recipes in Skyrim – and which ingredients work best.

Updated on June 29, 2023 by RItwik Mitra: Skyrim is a game that is unfairly labeled as easy by many. Sure, it's true that players can cheat death at every corner using a combination of quicksaves and relentless heals, but that's far from the optimal way to play the game. Some people want to enjoy a sense of tension as they sneak into a dungeon and try to take out every enemy in sight without being taken off-guard by the sheer number of foes that can overpower them. There are only so many sword strikes and the like that the Dragonborn can face before they eventually end up being killed, dooming the world of Skyrim to be razed at the hands of Alduin.

Thankfully, there are many healing potions that players can either craft or loot in the game. Skyrim is pretty generous when it comes to letting players heal up as much as possible, and most people will find themselves carrying a massive hoard of health-restoring potions after a point. While players may not have to think about healing all that much in the game, it never hurts to have as much information when it comes to the nature of healing potions in Skyrim and how they work.

Alchemy 101: How To Craft A Restore Health Potion

Newcomers to Skyrim may be at a loss at first when it comes to Alchemy. Luckily, the game actually includes a built-in tutorial that walks the player through the Alchemy process. It just so happens that the first potion the game tasks the player with brewing is Restore Health.

Talking to these NPCs will start the tutorial process:

Arcadia, the proprietor of Arcadia's Cauldron in Whiterun
Orgnar, the innkeeper of the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood
Zaria, the owner of Grave Concoctions in Falkreath

Talking to these individuals and inquiring about the use of their Alchemy Lab will trigger the tutorial. Players will receive their first Restore Health recipe, which is composed of Blisterwort and Wheat. The Dragonborn can purchase these items in the shop, or find them out in the wild. With the ingredients in hand, activate the Alchemy Lab and combine them. It's that simple!

These will come into use, especially for those trying to stay alive in survival mode. The ideal scenario is to heal all of this damage by resting, but that plan falls apart when monsters don't leave the Dovakhiin alone. As a result, it becomes important to try and gather as many healing potions as possible so that players don't end up running out of healing items if they're being pummeled during a fight.

How To Find The Restore Health Effect

Player Entering Arcadia's Cauldron From The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim

In Skyrim, potions and poisons are produced by combining two or more ingredients at an Alchemy Lab. There are four effects for each ingredient, which can be discovered through experimentation (successfully combining at least two, compatible elements reveals the common effect), and through consumption.

Eating an ingredient reveals its primary effect. Players should take caution, as this includes damage and other negative status effects; players should also note that only the first effect is revealed through consumption unless they have chosen the “Experimenter” Perk(s). In that case, they can glean knowledge of multiple effects through eating an ingredient.

Complex systems like this are what make Skyrim arguably the best game of the decade. There are so many ways to play this game, and there's a reason why so many people replay this game over and over again — every playthrough can be a vastly different experience based on the build that players pursue.

The Ingredients Of A Restore Health Potion

Two ingredients that share an effect can be combined into a mixture. Those with Restore Health include:

Wheat
Blue Mountain Flower
Blisterwort
Butterfly Wing
Blue Dartwing
Imp Stool
Charred Skeever Hide
Rock Warbler Egg
Swamp Fungal Pod
Eye of Sabre Cat
Daedra Heart
Ash Hopper Jelly
Felsaad Tern Feathers

Players should definitely keep an eye out for these when going on a fishing expedition in Skyrim. Many of these ingredients are found near lakes and rivers, but maintaining a keen eye on the environments present in the game world and picking up every alchemy ingredient in sight is a great way to ensure that players don't run out of a potion ingredient in any situation.

Additional Creation Club Content Ingredients

It's worth noting that certain Creation Club content adds additional ingredients to the base game. These optional ingredients can also be utilized when crafting a Restore Health Potion if their respective content pack (Rare Curios & Saints and Seducers) is installed:

Ambrosia
Corkbulb Root
Flame Stalk
Heart of Order
Marshmerrow
Saltrice
Void Essence

Combining any of the listed ingredients at an Alchemy Lab will result in a Restore Health potion. The Dragonborn can consume it to immediately regain several health points, dependent upon the strength of the mixture. However, because it’s possible to craft Restore Health potions that also cause damage to the player, it’s advisable for players to take note of any additional effects that may be shared between ingredients.

Players can mix more potent potions by increasing their Alchemy Skill level, selecting Alchemy Perks, and equipping items with the Fortify Alchemy enchantment. Ingredients and Labs are ubiquitous throughout the game, so becoming a master of Alchemy in Skyrim is simple, practical, and highly recommended.

For gathering, don't hesitate to join the Farming Creation Club. Many of these vital ingredients can be plucked right out of the earth at predictable places.

The Best Possible Potions

Ingredient 1	Ingredient 2	Ingredient 3	Benefit 1	Benefit 2
Wheat	Blue Mountain Flower	Lavender	Fortify Health	Fortify Conjuration
Wheat	Charred Skeever Hide	Bear Claws	Fortify Health	Restore Stamina
Ash Hopper Jelly	Felsaad Torn Feathers	Tundra Cotton	Resist Magic	Fortify Light Armor

An ingenious YouTuber has figured out how to get three effects out of a few select combinations. Keep in mind that these benefits are in addition to the healing effect and not in place of it. Of all of these, the Wheat, Charred Skeever Hide, and Bear Claws combination is the most useful for any class, though a conjurer will love the first and any light armor user can make could use of the last one.

There are several types of health potions that can be acquired in the game. These potions are separated into different tiers, with their effectiveness varying depending on the strength of these healing concoctions. As players progress through the game and get stronger, they'll naturally find the higher tiers of these potions scattered all across the game world.

Restore Health Potions

skyrim restore health potion over night sky whiterun

These potions have a pretty simple function — they restore any lost health. No extra health is restored with these potions. These are the most common forms of healing that players will find in the entire game, making it important to both loot and craft these potions whenever players get the time.

Name	Effect	Value
Potion of Minor Healing	Restores 25 points of Health	17
Potion of Healing	Restores 50 points of Health	36
Potion of Plentiful Healing	Restores 75 points of Health	57
Potion of Vigorous Healing	Restores 100 points of Health	79
Potion of Extreme Healing	Restores 150 points of Health	123
Potion of Ultimate Healing	Restores all Health	251

Fortify Health Potions

These potions bolster the health bar to help the Dragonborn enjoy the benefits of more vitality in battle. They are special in the sense that they don't outright restore the player but increase the health pool, meaning that players can combine this potion with a Restore Health potion for greater benefits.

Name	Effect	Value
Potion of Health	Health is fortified by 20 points for one minute	67
Draught of Health	Health is fortified by 40 points for one minute	145
Solution of Health	Health is fortified by 60 points for one minute	226
Philter of Health	Health is fortified by 80 points for one minute	311
Elixir of Health	Health is fortified by 100 points for one minute	398

Regenerate Health Potions

Players who aren't pressed for time when it comes to healing themselves can use a Regenerate Health potion to restore their vitality quickly. This potion is particularly useful right after an encounter in a dungeon since the Dragonborn will have enough time to heal up while they're looting their enemies and exploring the room before moving on to the next combat encounter. Alternatively, this potion can be chugged before battle so that the Dragonborn can tank hits with ease while slicing through their enemies.

Name	Effect	Value
Potion of Regeneration	Health regenerates 50% faster for 5 minutes	311
Draught of Regeneration	Health regenerates 60% faster for 5 minutes	380
Solution of Regeneration	Health regenerates 70% faster for 5 minutes	451
Philter of Regeneration	Health regenerates 80% faster for 5 minutes	522
Elixir of Regeneration	Health regenerates 100% faster for 5 minutes	668

Combinations To Avoid

Skyrim Buying A Daedra Heart From A Vendor

Ingredient 1	Ingredient 2	Poison Effect
Daedra Heart	Wheat	Damage Stamina Regeneration
Daedra Heart	Blue Dartwing	Fear
Daedra Heart	Butterfly Wing	Damage Magicka
Daedra Heart	Eye Of Sabre Cat	Damage Magicka
Butterfly Wing	Eye Of Sabre Cat	Damage Magicka
Rock Warbler Egg	Blisterwort	Damage Stamina
Swamp Fungal Pod	Imp Stool	Paralysis
Swamp Fungal Pod	Wheat	Lingering Damage Magicka

The good news is that all of these combinations are labeled as poisons, so it's not like the player will accidentally consume them. The bad news is that, as a poison, these combinations will still retain the heal effect. That means that while the effect of the poison will work, like fear or damage Magicka, the weapon it is applied to will also heal the enemy.

Obviously, that's a serious problem. Depending on the weapon in use and the strength of the Alchemy skill, this can easily make it so that opponents are healed more than they take damage with each strike. So go ahead and avoid making these poisons.

It is also recommended to avoid mixing Imp Stool and Blisterwort. It is a restore health potion without any negative consequences, but the resulting potion is weaker than a normal potion. While gathering ingredients, take in all the beautiful music, but don't get distracted and accidentally make an inferior potion.

Useful Perks For Better Health Potions

Alchemy Perk Tree From The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim

Skyrim is full of perks that help players better hone their craft. If the Dragonborn is serious about Alchemy, making doubly sure each potion is brewed to perfection is of tantamount importance. Alchemist players should grab these Perks at their earliest convenience.

Alchemist (5 Ranks) - Brewed potions and poisons become 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and finally Twice as strong with each successive rank
Physician - Brewed Restore Health, Stamina, and Magicka potions become 25% more powerful
Benefactor - Potions mixed with beneficial effects have an additional 25% greater magnitude
Experimenter (3 Ranks) - Each successive rank reveals an additional effect when an ingredient is consumed
Purity - All negative effects are removed from crafted potions

Certain jewelry and armor items can also come in handy when looking to brew Restore Health potions. Players can, of course, craft and enchant their own clothing items. However, these three ready-made Fortify Alchemy items are also useful for getting the job done at the brewing station: