Disclosed is a composition for softening a wet laid cellulosic structure. A particularly preferred structure is an absorbent tissue. Further disclosed are tissue structures softened using the composition. The composition includes an effective amount of a softening active ingredient; a vehicle in which the softening active ingredient is dispersed; an electrolyte dissolved in the vehicle; and a bilayer disrupter. The electrolyte and the bilayer disrupter cooperate to cause the viscosity of the composition to be less than the viscosity of a dispersion of the softening active ingredient in the vehicle alone. Preferably, the softening active ingredient is a quaternary ammonium compound with the formula: (R1)4-m-N<+>-[(CH2)n-Y-R3]m X<->; the vehicle is water, the electrolyte is calcium chloride, and the bilayer disrupter is a nonionic surfactant. Also disclosed is a method of using the compound by adding it at a use concentration to the wet end of a papermaking process.
