QUICK SURVEY. How many of you start your morning or finish your night with a cold shower?

Chances are, we’ll have a landslide for hot. But cold is not actually that weird.

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But under what circumstances is it actually BETTER for you to shower with cold water?

This infographic from Luna Sleep claims that cold water can be beneficial for your immune system, alertness, stimulating anti-depression hormones (study), tightening the skin, and accelerating metabolism–mainly caused by the need to warm yourself the hell up.

Lunasleep Lunasleep

Also, Katherine Hepburn used to swear by ‘em, enough said.

There’s even a phenomenon is some zen fitness-type circles that have christened a 30-day cold shower challenge, to get you feeling more full of energy.

A writer at Fast Company tried starting his morning with a cold shower and said

When I toweled off, I immediately felt more alert. My heart was still racing, and I spent that morning experiencing a strange buzz that coffee no longer provided.

A hot shower obviously has its advantages too, relaxing the muscles, lowering tension, reducing swelling and anxiety, opens pores in the skin, and acting as a nasal decongestant.

So go forth and adjust that shower, if you can figure it out, that is.

Apparently four out of five women don’t shower every day*>

Is it better to shower in the morning or at night?>