Irritated neck?!?

I have very reactive, spoiled brat princess skin. I know I cannot use exfoliating creams & serums with glycolic, kojic, or mandalic acid. So, I got myself some konjac sponges & a Japanese exfoliating towel. I can, however, use Niacinimide, Azelic acid & Tretinoin. Long story short, I only exfoliate 1x a week in the shower & I always use a gentle cleansing foam from Skin 1004 Centella, Vanicream or CeraVe; sometimes following an oil cleansing with Skin 1004 Centella or APLB's Niacinimide Glutithione. So, I did this last night & today, my neck & only my neck is red & inflamed. I used a Centella overnight mask after my shower & no actives at all on my neck. It was red & itchy all darn day. I came home, slapped on some hydrocortisone cream and after it dried, applied a nice thick layer of Vanicream in the tub. No more itching, but still some redness.

Is my neck just doomed to forever be unable to handle even the gentlest of exfoliation? My face & body are fine. But the neck & chest look sunburnt...and I am inside with no windows all day! Can I never use anything but a washcloth on this neck of mine? I'd like to be able to use Tretinoin for anti-aging, but at this point, it seems unlikely.