Consider this a free bump for your quest.
I think everyone has their own methods for what your asking. I must say that the Portraiture plugin from
www.imagenomic.com does a great job of retouching skin. It gives quite a bit of control. It is a great tool, especially if you have a time crunch. I can work through a lot of images very quickly with that plug and a few dabs with the healing brush. I'm not saying you shouldn't try to learn the art of skin retouching, but I thought I would share info on a great photoshop plugin. Their Noiseware plugin is one of the best noise reduction plugins I've used, as well. (I also like their Realgrain plugin). No, I don't work for them or their sales department, but I wouldn't be ashamed if I did. All great stuff.