Cynthia Erivo’s red carpet ritual for glowy skin and less stress

I was a bit wicked during the holiday season.

Not Elphaba wicked. Not even Madame Morrible wicked. But I did overdo it on sugar and Chinese food and wasn’t feeling my best right after Christmas.

Fortunately, I’d booked a treatment that’s one of Golden Globe nominee Cynthia Erivo’s favorites — and a must-do before the “Wicked: For Good” premiere in New York City to destress, boost circulation for glowing skin and reduce inflammation for a more svelte figure.

According to Sage + Sound on the Upper East Side, Cynthia — who’s up for lead actress in a musical or comedy at tonight’s Globes — says the wellness destination is her “first stop” when she’s in the city.

Her treatment: their $295 Signature Lymphatic Ritual, which involves breathwork, a 45-minute lymphatic massage, a scalp massage and a half hour in an infrared sauna.

“It’s an arduous thing to do, but I love doing it because it always aids the end result, which is what you’ve seen when I’m in front of people singing or performing,” she told People, adding that it helps her reduce water retention.

Proponents of lymphatic drainage say it has tons of benefits, including boosting circulation, supporting immune function, reducing inflammation, promoting healthy skin, increasing energy and lessening stress.

It’s no wonder it’s become such a hit with celebs. Other famous fans of lymphatic drainage include Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Aniston, Hailey Bieber and Naomi Campbell.

“I think of lymphatic massage as strategic body prep,” Lauren Zucker, co-founder and co-CEO of Sage + Sound, told The Post. “It is one of the fastest ways to de-puff the face and body, sharpen the jawline and cheekbones, and reduce bloating so the silhouette looks clean, sculpted, and camera-ready.

“We also do focused abdominal work, which helps release water retention and digestive bloating,” she added. “Many clients notice an immediate difference, even in how their clothes fit, which makes a real impact on the red carpet.”

They say it can also help if you’re jet-setting around the world — say, to promote a film.

“For frequent travelers, lymphatic massage helps reduce swelling in the face, legs, and ankles, eases that heavy, bloated feeling, and gets circulation moving again,” added Lacey Tisch, Zucker’s co-founder and co-CEO.

“It also supports the nervous system, which is especially important when time zones and routines are constantly shifting,” she added.

What actually is lymphatic drainage?

While manual lymphatic drainage has become trendy in recent years, it was developed nearly a century ago in Denmark.

Our lymphatic system works by collecting fluid called lymph (a mix of water, proteins, fats, white blood cells and cellular waste) and filtering it through the lymph nodes.

The lymph nodes catch the bad stuff, like bacteria and viruses, and get rid of them before the fluid returns to our bloodstream, protecting us against getting sick.

If you’re healthy, this should all be functioning well on its own. In that case, you might not need lymphatic massage — but research shows it can certainly be relaxing and even temporarily de-puff you, so you look and feel a bit more slimmed down in the hours afterward.

If you have certain health conditions like lymphedema, fibromyalgia or chronic venous insufficiency, lymphatic drainage is medically necessary, moving trapped fluid that can make the conditions worse.

There are also a lot of conditions that are just now being studied with lymphatic drainage — and emerging research indicates it may help with symptoms.

These include polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, IBS, long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome, lipedema, Alzheimer’s, plus autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, lupus and psoriasis.

Selena Gomez and Kim Kardashian suffer from the last two conditions, respectively, which may be why they’re fans of the treatment.

What Cynthia Erivo’s lymphatic drainage massage is really like

I’m not walking any red carpets, but as I said — I could use a little help after the holidays.

I was a first-timer and found the motions to be unlike a deep-tissue massage but not too far off from a Swedish one — a bit lighter and no kneading, more about manipulating the surface than the muscles underneath.

There were lots of light strokes repeated over the same areas and reminded me of using a jade roller or gua sha. That’s unsurprising, since those tools are also supposed to help with lymphatic drainage for your face and neck.

In this case, my whole body was getting treated — including my armpits. Intellectually I knew that made sense: We have lots of lymph nodes there. But it did occur to me this might be tricky for someone who’s ticklish.

There was also a lot of rubbing across my stomach. My practitioner, Jessica, told me that she’s been able to tell things about people’s health while doing this — including whether they suffered from stomach issues or reproductive ones, like PCOS.

As a sound bowl rang out at the end, I was definitely feeling zen. I was even more relaxed after spending 30 minutes in a private sauna to sweat everything out. (I’m a big sauna fan — it’s got tons of proven health benefits for your heart, brain, immunity and sleep.)

As for the results? Better immune function and circulation aren’t things I’d necessarily be able to notice in the short term, but I’m happy for anything that can give those areas a boost.

I was for sure de-stressed, though, and I slept super soundly that night.

All in all, I think Cynthia’s go-to treatment makes feel the opposite of Elphaba: I can’t say I’ve been changed for good, but at least, for a little bit, I was changed for the better.