SHANGHAI, Sept. 23 -- Procter & Gamble Co suspended sales of its SK-II products in China yesterday after authorities discovered banned substances in the popular skin care range, prompting angry outbursts from consumers seeking refunds.

The US consumer products giant decided to take action in China, including temporarily shutting its SK-II sales counters nationwide, in part due to "security incidents" between customers and employees at some of its sales counters, said Charles Zhang, external relations manager for P&G China.

About 30 people gathered outside P&G's Shanghai branch in Huangpu District yesterday afternoon to protest the company's actions, and glass was smashed on the company's gate, witnesses said.

The Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Bureau conducted negotiations with P&G on the refund issue yesterday but declined to say whether any results had been achieved.

Police were called to the Park Hotel in Shanghai on Wednesday to help deal with some 400 angry consumers seeking refunds on SK-II products.

Customers were upset they had to sign a waiver saying there was nothing wrong with the quality of the cosmetics and that they would have to wait one month before getting a cash refund.

Quality and inspection regulators in several cities, as well as the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, had asked the company to take action after finding trace amounts of chromium and neodymium in SK-II products.

Chromium and neodymium can cause skin allergies and other illnesses.

The sales suspension will give the company time to get more information from the Chinese government about their test results, Zhang said.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based P&G said in a statement on its Website that it was confident its Japanese-made SK-II products comply with safety standards and regulations required by health authorities in the United States, Canada and the European Union.

"The Chinese government recently raised questions about two elements found at trace levels in SK-II products. SK-II does not add these elements as ingredients in any of our products," the statement said.

Zhang said the chromium and neodymium occurred naturally, The Associated Press reported.

More than 50 local residents went to the Shanghai refund site at 9am yesterday, only to find a notice that the service had been suspended.

They then converged on an SK-II counter at the nearby Shanghai Jiuguang City Plaza and found that closed as well.

The plaza gave the by-then-furious consumers a statement released by P&G in the morning, saying SK-II buyers could call its 24-hour hotline 800-830-3365 or 800-830-5562 for a refund.