It seems I'm having trouble understanding what you're asking.

"all the cominations for the same potion" [emphasis added] counts as one potion, regardless of which order you collect/use the herbs. For example Rose, Rose, Lotus is the same potion as Rose, Lotus, Rose and will count only as one potion toward the required 50.

Different potions each count as a potion, as long as the herbs that you use are different from other potions that you've made. For example, Rose, Rose, Lotus is a different potion from Rose, Lotus, Lotus.

<message deleted - CFII beat me to it, again, drat it>

I think what Xilo means is if you have two recipes that make stinky breath, do they count as two separate potions.

Xilo, yes they do count as separate potions.
For example lets say you use rose, rose, rose and that made a dance potion, and then you made a recipe that was orchard, orchard, lotus which also was a dance recipe. These two recipes make up different potions that react similiary.

(Note: These are not the actual recipes for dancing. I just made this up to help explain something.)

Chatter

Are you using the children to gather your herbs? It's much faster that way.

like a potion which (for example) would be tigerlily x2 + tose would make the same potion with orchid, orchid, and lotus, if you tried both of them, would each count as one potion?

Yes, they would count as two recipes. It is the combination of herbs that determines the recipe and not the effect - potion properties. EM

are you saying that counts as two potions toward the 50 potion award?

Yes!