Summary: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent and chronic, severely pruritic skin disease characterized by dysfunction in the epithelial barrier, skin inflammation and T-helper 2 (Th2)-deviated immune abnormalities with changes in the skin microbiota and common colonization by Staphylococcus aureus. The presence of commensal skin bacteria can also promote health, which supports the hypothesis that dysbiosis in AD is crucial to driving disease severity. The human skin contains mainly four types of bacteria: Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. The exact species composition of the microbiome is dependent on the specific site on the skin and its properties such as temperature, pH or humidity. However, the role of microbial communities in the pathogenesis of AD is still being investigated; therapy based on microbiome modification is thought to be a crucial step in atopic eczema treatment.