After two centuries of dishing out cures to Londoners’ maladies, age started to wither this venerable pharmacy: cue a multimillion-pound revamp that balances an imposing heritage with a new range of products. Intriguing bits of antique paraphernalia are dotted among of-the-moment wellness fads – JB&C houses a royal prescription book, so you can gawp at Queen Victoria’s beauty secrets (cold cream and Coraline toothpaste, FYI). The store is also home to a globetrotting selection of fancy brands, from French cult favourites including Embryolisse and La Roche Posay to under-the-radar Antipodean suncare. You might come in looking for blister plasters, but you’ll leave with a bathroom-cabinet’s worth of loot.
As featured in the 100 best shops in London