the routine: how much time should you spend on your skin?

i know women out there who spend a good chunk of their morning routine on their skin. and then another substantial chunk in the evening. is that too much?

i personally think it might be.

the more you poke, prod, and ponder over every pore - the more likely you are to overwork and possibly damage your skin.

it's like plucking brows.  you get thisclose to the mirror and tweeze tweeze away, and when you take a step back to examine your work - you've realized you've tweezed too much.

same with your skin. the more you focus on it, the more you start to pop and squeeze pimples that aren't there and extract pores that aren't that dirty - only to wind up looking pinched, red, and inflamed.

the truth is, your routine - whether in the morning or in the evening - should not take more than five minutes to complete. that's enough time to rinse and smear on one hydrating product. maybe two.

you want to cleanse and then move on to your next step(s) while your skin is still damp. (while damp, a toner, serum, or moisturizer will penetrate deeper). and keep your layers thin. you don't need a layer 'THISTHICK' to make the product work.

remember the general rule of skincare: keep it simple. (okay, its not a general rule - but it sounds cooler and much more authoritative if I say that it is.)