Understanding the release and subsequent exposure to VOCs, SVOCs and PM emitted from scented candles is crucial to assessing potential consumer health risks. The overall objective of this paper is to present an approach in evaluating consumers’ health risk from exposure to chemicals released from candles used in the indoor environment. Against the background of the afore mentioned obstacles of differing candle emission testing protocols and related uncertainties in interpreting the results, the aim of this investigation is to first report the results of a comprehensive set of studies conducted to measure the emissions of VOC, SVOC and PM from scented candles in a comparable manner under environmentally controlled conditions and thereby to substantially increase the understanding of candle emissions. Analytical data obtained in the form of chamber concentrations were back-calculated to candle emission rates on which basic consumer exposures were estimated for different candle use scenarios using a default 1-box as well as a newly developed higher tiered 2-box computational model. The health risks associated with consumer exposure estimates were assessed by comparison to existing or proposed regulatory air guideline values or, where not existent, to ‘derived no effect