Yes, it’s recommended. I have received many dolls over the past few years, but I have to say that opening the box of my new doll was quite an exciting experience, as this is one of the best TPE dolls I have ever seen. The factory did a great job of mixing a slightly lighter shade of Coco skin color for me as I requested. I find that darker cocoa colors don’t light up as well for photographs and are more prone to smudging. Therefore, the correct skin tone is very important and they got it right!