Yeah, see what Gabe has posted looks normal.... and was what I'd meant to begin with.

I guess the issue is that this effect is getting amplified somehow in certain texture sets??

Or, some people want even more homogenous skin than this? Which isn't real-world, as much as a glamour ideal?

Am I right in thinking that the ideal texture should be hand painted, from such a reference, rather than just photo-processed?

Or, maybe a set of colour and texture intensity control maps, hand painted or photo extracted, driving procedural diffuse, reflections, etc?