No, salt itself does not remove a sun tan. While salt is used in some tanning processes for animal hides (as seen in references discussing tanning elk, alligator, and rabbit hides), this is a completely different process than removing a sun tan from human skin. These references detail using salt to preserve and prepare animal hides for tanning, not removing pigmentation.
Several references highlight the misuse of salt on human skin. One source explicitly warns against using salt or lemon juice directly on the body, especially the face, suggesting using them diluted in water instead. Another source discusses a homemade tan removal remedy that includes salt, but cautions that the safety of this specific recipe is unknown. It's important to note the difference between using salt in a specific cosmetic recipe (with other ingredients and potentially in a diluted form) and using salt directly to remove a tan.
The claim that "It definitely helps remove tan" found in one reference is misleading without further context. This statement likely refers to a specific recipe or mixture including salt and other ingredients, not salt alone.
Therefore, while salt plays a role in animal hide tanning, it is not a method for removing a sun tan from human skin.
