If I unpack the VAR, does the HUB still recognize that the dependencies are in the library or does it reload them from the HUB every time?
If you have downloaded the dependencies to your AddonPackages folder, and you have opened the json file of the scene/look that you just unzipped and you have removed SELF:/ from all of the links inside the json, it should work just fine. However, if another var depends on the var that you have unzipped, you will get a missing var error.
I am using BooMoon.[Looks]_Nadia.1.var as demonstration. You would extract the var and open the scene/look json in Notepad++, press CTRL+H and type in SELF:/ in the top bar, leave the bottom bar blank and press Replace All. Should look like this.
before
SELF:/Custom/Atom/Person/Textures/BooMoon/TATTOO_1.png
after
Custom/Atom/Person/Textures/BooMoon/TATTOO_1.png
Then save and exit Notepad++.
Edit: Also, you would have to edit any presets that you have created using the var that you unzip.