In a perfect world, you’d happily slather on mineral sunscreen like the responsible skin-care goddess you are. In reality, it always makes you feel like you’re covered in chalkboard dust. Mood—busted.

Efficacy is always key in skincare—but when it comes to SPF, it’s what matters most. On the other hand, sunscreen isn’t effective if you don’t actually want to wear and reapply it, so things like ...