Up to 15 percent of children and five percent of adults are affected by the chronic inflammatory skin disease atopic dermatitis. Despite advanced therapy measures, the severe itching and eczema, especially on the elbows or knees, cause great distress to the patients. Medical researchers have now discovered a new approach: bacteriophages, which colonize the skin as viral components of the microbiome and can drive the development of innovative atopic dermatitis therapies.